Appears in: Poe
Frequency: 1
Definition:
(noun) Aurora Borealis, under AURORA// A luminous meteoric phenomenon, visible only at night, and supposed to be of electrical origin. This species of light usually appears in streams, ascending towards the zenith from a dusky line or bank, a few degrees above the northern horizon; when reaching south beyond the zenith, it forms what is called the corona, about a spot in the heavens towards which the dipping needle points. Occasionally the aurora appears as an arch of light across the heavens from east to west. Sometimes it assumes a wavy appearance, an the streams of light are then called merry dancers. They assume a variety of colors, from a pale red or yellow to a deep red or blood color (MW)