Who named the Northern Lights "Aurora Borealis" and why?

TabbyTom

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term was first used by Pierre Gassendi about 1621. The words mean "northern dawn," and in its simplest form the aurora produces an effect something like a sunrise on the northern horizon. Aug 20 05, 3:25 PM

JoshCaleb12

Aurora was the Roman goddess of dawn. Aug 20 05, 3:54 PM

athena6557

Aurora was the Roman goddess of the dawn and Boreas was her son, the north wind, so I'm thinking it translates "the dawn of the north (wind" Aug 20 05, 5:34 PM

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What causes the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis)? How is an aurora borealis created? According to the book "The Hollow Earth" what is the source of the aurora borealis? Someone is trying to convince me that the Aurora Borealis would be frequently seen over England if it wasn't for light pollution. Can anyone here provide evidence one way or the other on this?

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