How did the Aurora Borealis get its name?

Answer 1

Aurora Borealis was named after the Roman Goddess of dawn, Aurora, and the Greek name for the north wind, Boreas, by Pierre Gassendi in 1621.

From the Latin "Aurora" = the dawn and from the Greek "Boreas" = The northern wind. (In Greek the winds coming from the four points of the compass had a different name. Boreas for the northern wind, Notus for the southern wind, Zephyrus for the western wind, and Euro for the eastern wind.)

So Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) mean 'the dawn of the north'.

Aurora is the Roman goddess of the dawn and Boreas is the Greek name for north wind. The same effect occurs in the south pole, however there it is called Aurora Australis. Australis is Latin for "South".

Aurora Borealis was named after the Roman Goddess of dawn, Aurora, and the Greek name for the north wind, Boreas, by Pierre Gassendi in 1621.
"Borealis" is the northern aurora, "Australis" is the southern aurora.