But first... Is it Aurora or the Northern Lights? What's the difference?

Well, the term Aurora is the name in general without any specific location. When Aurora is observed in the Northern Hemisphere then we call it Aurora Borealis or the Northern Lights. When Aurora is observed in the Southern Hemisphere then we call it Aurora Australis or the Southern Lights.

We will be focusing on the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) in this course.

What are the Polar Lights then? The Polar Lights are the same as the Northern Lights and Aurora Borealis.