Northern Lights vs Aurora Borealis — Difference Explained
Northern lights and aurora borealis are the same phenomenon. Learn the etymology, regional names in 10+ languages, the science behind both, and how to see them in 2026.
If you have searched for "northern lights" and then seen scientists write "aurora borealis," you may have wondered whether they are different things. They are not. This article gives you the definitive answer, explains where both names come from, and covers every regional name used around the world for the same spectacular phenomenon.
The Direct Answer
Northern lights and aurora borealis are the same phenomenon. "Aurora borealis" is the scientific Latin name. "Northern lights" is the common English descriptive term. Both refer to the colorful light displays produced when solar wind particles collide with Earth's atmosphere near the magnetic north pole. You can use either name — they mean exactly the same thing.
This is one of the most commonly searched questions about the aurora, and the answer is straightforward. The confusion arises because different communities use different names: scientists write "aurora borealis," travel writers say "northern lights," and locals across Scandinavia, Canada, and Alaska use their own regional names entirely.
Where the Name "Aurora Borealis" Comes From
Aurora: Roman Goddess of Dawn
"Aurora" is the Roman goddess of dawn — the deity who opened the gates of heaven each morning to allow the sun to rise. Romans used her name as a poetic description of the glowing light that appears in the sky before sunrise. When Galileo Galilei observed a brilliant light display from northern Italy in 1619, the shimmering glow along the northern horizon reminded him of a sunrise — so he borrowed the name.
Borealis: From Boreas, God of the North Wind
"Borealis" derives from Boreas, the Greek personification of the cold north wind. In Greek mythology, Boreas was one of the four wind gods (Anemoi), associated with winter and the north. The adjective "borealis" in Latin simply means "northern." Combined with Aurora, the full term translates roughly as "dawn of the north" — an evocative name that has remained in use for over 400 years.
Galileo Galilei Coined the Term in 1619
Galileo Galilei is credited with coining "aurora borealis" following his 1619 observations. He correctly noted that the phenomenon originated in the northern sky and likened it to a pre-dawn glow. His initial scientific explanation — that the display was sunlight reflecting off particles in the upper atmosphere — was wrong, but the name stuck. French philosopher Pierre Gassendi independently used the same term the same year.
The scientific explanation of aurora had to wait until the 19th and 20th centuries, when advances in electromagnetism and space physics revealed the true mechanism: solar wind interaction with Earth's magnetosphere.
What People Around the World Call the Northern Lights
Long before Galileo gave the phenomenon a Latin name, people across northern latitudes were watching — and naming — the aurora. These regional names carry centuries of cultural interpretation embedded in the words themselves.
| Language | Name | Literal Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Finnish | Revontulet | "Fox fires" — from a myth of an arctic fox running across the sky, its tail brushing sparks |
| Norwegian | Nordlys | "Northern light" |
| Swedish | Norrsken | "Northern shimmer" or "Northern glow" |
| Danish | Nordlys | "Northern light" |
| Icelandic | Norðurljós | "Northern light" |
| German | Polarlicht | "Polar light" |
| French | Aurore boréale | "Northern dawn" (same Latin roots) |
| Spanish | Aurora boreal | "Northern dawn" |
| Russian | Северное сияние | "Northern radiance" or "Northern glow" |
| Inuktitut | Aqsarniit | "Those who play ball" — referring to spirits playing with a walrus skull |
| Scots Gaelic | Na Fir Chlis | "The nimble men" or "The merry dancers" |
| Sami | Guovssahasat | Roughly "light of dawn" or "twilight" |
The Finnish name "Revontulet" is particularly beloved. It comes from a folk story of the Firefox — an arctic fox running across the northern fells, its tail sweeping sparks into the sky as it brushed against the snowy ground and treetops. The image of a running fox painting streaks of light across the dark sky captures something that raw scientific description cannot.
The Sami peoples of Scandinavia treated the aurora with reverence and caution. In some traditions, whistling or waving at the lights was believed to attract the attention of the spirits — with unpredictable results. Indigenous cultures across the Arctic developed rich interpretive frameworks for the aurora long before modern science offered an explanation.
Aurora Borealis vs Aurora Australis: The Southern Counterpart
Just as aurora borealis means "northern dawn," aurora australis means "southern dawn" — from "australis," the Latin adjective for southern. The two displays are mirror images of each other, occurring simultaneously at opposite poles whenever a solar storm hits Earth.
The physics is identical. The colors are identical. The only difference is geographic: aurora australis is visible from the southern tips of New Zealand, Argentina, and Australia, rather than from Scandinavia and Canada. Because far less accessible landmass exists at the southern high latitudes needed, aurora australis receives far less public attention — but it is every bit as spectacular.
Read our full Aurora Australis guide for specific locations, Kp thresholds, and viewing tips for the southern hemisphere.
Why Aurora Happens: The Short Version
The Sun continuously emits a stream of charged particles called the solar wind. Earth's magnetic field deflects most of this stream, but some particles are funneled toward the magnetic poles. When these energetic particles collide with oxygen and nitrogen atoms 80–300 kilometers above Earth's surface, those atoms release the absorbed energy as visible light.
- Green aurora: Oxygen at ~100 km altitude — the most common color
- Red aurora: Oxygen at higher altitudes (~200–300 km) — rarer and often at the top of aurora curtains
- Blue and purple aurora: Nitrogen molecules — often visible at lower altitudes
- Pink and magenta: A mix of nitrogen and lower-altitude oxygen — common at the base of strong aurora curtains
The intensity depends on how much solar wind is striking Earth's magnetosphere at a given moment, measured by the Kp index (0–9 scale). A higher Kp means a larger auroral oval expanding further from the poles — bringing aurora to lower latitudes.
For a full scientific explanation, read our guide on what causes aurora borealis.
Whatever You Call Them, AuroraMe Tracks Them
AuroraMe covers aurora borealis and aurora australis equally — every GPS coordinate on Earth. The app supports 37 languages, so whether you call them northern lights, Nordlys, Revontulet, or aurora borealis, you can track them in your own language. Set your location, set your alert threshold, and let the app do the rest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are northern lights and aurora borealis the same thing?
Yes, completely. "Northern lights" is the common English name. "Aurora borealis" is the scientific name coined by Galileo in 1619. They refer to the same light displays caused by solar wind particles interacting with Earth's atmosphere near the magnetic north pole. Both terms are correct and interchangeable.
What does aurora borealis mean in English?
"Aurora borealis" translates roughly as "dawn of the north." Aurora was the Roman goddess of dawn. Borealis comes from Boreas, the Greek god of the north wind, and means "northern" in Latin. The name describes how the aurora's glow along the northern horizon resembles a sunrise.
Who first named the aurora borealis?
Galileo Galilei is credited with coining the term "aurora borealis" in 1619 after observing a display from Italy. Pierre Gassendi used the same term independently the same year. The name has been used in scientific literature ever since, though local names like Revontulet (Finnish) and Nordlys (Norwegian) predate Galileo by centuries.
What is aurora australis?
Aurora australis is the southern hemisphere equivalent of aurora borealis. "Australis" is Latin for "southern." Both phenomena are caused by identical physics and occur simultaneously during geomagnetic storms. Aurora australis is visible from the southern tips of New Zealand, Argentina, and Australia. It is also called the "southern lights."
What language does "aurora" come from?
"Aurora" is Latin, borrowed from the name of the Roman goddess of dawn. The Romans named the goddess Aurora — equivalent to the Greek goddess Eos. Galileo chose this name in 1619 because the glow of aurora along the northern horizon resembled the light of dawn. The same root gives us English words like "aurora," "aureate" (golden), and "east" (where the sun rises).
Sources
- NASA — What is the Aurora? — scientific terminology and aurora types
- NOAA SWPC — Aurora — aurora borealis and aurora australis definitions