Aurora
- “what causes the northern lights”
- “why is the aurora green”
- “where can I see the aurora”
- “aurora borealis meaning”
:: COMPARE ::
BorealisvsAustralis
The short answer
The northern and southern counterparts, produced by the same magnetospheric process at opposite magnetic poles — one of two ovals. The popular claim that they are exact mirror images is not asserted by NASA or NOAA in the pages checked, so treat perfect mirroring as unverified.
Side by side
| Aspect | Borealis | Australis |
|---|---|---|
| Hemisphere | North | South |
| Named from | Boreas, north wind | Auster, south wind |
| Mechanism | Identical | Identical |
| Perfect mirror | Unverified | Unverified |
Which one you meant
Readers who land here meaning Aurora rather than Australis are usually searching for phrases like “what causes the northern lights”, “why is the aurora green”, “where can I see the aurora”.
Read either one in full