The scientific name for the Southern Lights is Aurora Australis?

The story behind the answer

True. The Southern Lights are scientifically called the Aurora Australis. “Aurora” is Latin for dawn (and the Roman goddess of dawn), and “Australis” means southern, distinguishing them from the Aurora Borealis in the north. They occur when charged particles from the Sun ride the solar wind and are guided by Earth’s magnetic field into the polar atmospheres, where they collide with gases. These collisions emit light—greens and reds mainly from oxygen, purples and blues from nitrogen.

You’re most likely to see Aurora Australis from high southern latitudes like Antarctica, Tasmania, New Zealand, and southern Argentina/Chile, especially during strong solar activity. Memory tip: A for Australis, A for Australia—think “southern skies.”