What is the name of the southern lights phenomenon?

The southern lights phenomenon is called the Aurora Australis. It is the Southern Hemisphere counterpart of the Aurora Borealis, or northern lights.

Auroras occur when charged particles from the Sun interact with Earth's magnetosphere and are guided toward the polar upper atmosphere. There, the particles collide with oxygen and nitrogen atoms, transferring energy that is released as shimmering colored light. Green is common, while red, pink, purple and blue can also appear depending on altitude and atmospheric conditions.

The Aurora Australis is most often visible from high-latitude locations such as Antarctica, Tasmania, southern New Zealand and parts of southern South America. Strong solar storms can expand the auroral oval, allowing the lights to be seen much farther from the South Pole than usual.

The name comes from Latin: aurora means “dawn,” while australis means “southern.” Solar wind is involved in creating auroras, but it is not the name of the light display itself. Similarly, a coronal mass ejection can trigger a vivid aurora, but it is a solar eruption rather than the phenomenon seen in the sky.