auroral chorus
n.— «The sounds are as mysterious as the lights themselves. Some are downright eerie, like Halloween ghost-sound-effects tapes. Others are almost familiar and comforting, similar, in fact, to the chirps of crickets or frogs. The lights also produce sounds suggesting the calls of tropical birds, whales or dolphins, which have become popular meditative-music fodder in recent years. The lull of the auroral chorus, however, is often broken up with distinctly sci-fi sounds known as whistlers—magnificent bursts of radio energy that begin in the high-frequency range and slide down to a low pitch.» —“The northern lights sing songs of love” by Chris Johns Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada) Mar. 17, 2001. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
It’s hard to imagine now, but there was a time when people disagreed over the best word to use when answering the phone. Alexander Graham Bell suggested answering with ahoy! but Thomas Edison was partial to hello! A fascinating new book about...
“What has a head like a cat, feet like a cat, a tail like a cat, but isn’t a cat?” Answer: a kitten! A 1948 children’s joke book has lots of these to share with kids. Plus: an easy explanation for the difference between...