Canterbury Region, New ZealandMagnetic latitude 51.0°718 m above sea level
Can you see the southern lights in Lake Tekapo?
From Lake Tekapo the aurora is seen only during geomagnetic storms (about Kp 5.7 or more), usually as a glow low in the south-south-west. Cameras often pick it up before the eye does. Since 1995 that level (Kp 5.7) was reached during darkness here on 264 nights.
Right now
Quiet right now (Kp 0.7).
Updates every minute while this page is open.
Tonight in one minute
Not tonight
- Solar activity Too weak: Kp 2.3 expected, 5.7 needed here.
- Sky Partly cloudy (42% cloud) — look for gaps.
- Darkness Dark from 21:16 to 05:28. A bright moon (77%) washes out faint displays.
What to do: Not tonight — your next chance is shown just below.
Sunday 25 October — Photos only · Kp 4 · best around 00:30 · Forecast cloud: 13%. · Reliability: low (rough trend)
Each box is one night: the colour shows the chance, the number the expected Kp. Tap a night for details.
📅 Add these nights to your calendar — it updates itself (.ics)
How far ahead can the northern lights be forecast?
- Minutes to an hour: satellites 1.5 million km away measure the solar wind before it reaches Earth. This is the surest warning — the “Right now” box uses it.
- 1–3 days: when the Sun throws out a cloud of particles, it takes one to three days to arrive. NOAA's 3-hourly forecast covers these nights; the timing can still be off by a few hours.
- 4–27 days: the Sun turns once every 27 days, and regions that disturbed Earth's field last time often do it again. NOAA's 27-day outlook gives this rough trend — new eruptions are not in it yet.
Tonight
Updated 02:59 local time
Unlikely
Best around 02:00. Forecast max Kp 2.3 (this place needs 5.7), average cloud 42%.
- Dark enough
- 21:16 – 05:28
- Sunset
- 20:11 · sunrise 06:33
- Moon
- 77% · ↑ 15:40 · ↓ 04:32
- Kp neededKp index: a 0–9 measure of geomagnetic activity. The higher it is, the further from the poles the aurora reaches.
- Kp 5.7
- Kp for photos
- In photos: from Kp 4 (a red glow low in the south-south-west).
- Look towards
- south-south-west (194°)
Cloud layers and weather
Low cloud blocks the aurora completely. Thin high cloud often still lets a bright aurora shine through, so a sky with only high cloud is worth a look.
| Time | Thu, 02 | Thu, 05 | Thu, 23 | Fri, 02 | Fri, 05 | Fri, 23 | Sat, 02 | Sat, 05 | Sat, 23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low cloud | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Mid cloud | 0% | 0% | 18% | 5% | 1% | 21% | 0% | 0% | 2% |
| High cloud | 94% | 35% | 2% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Temperature | 7 °C | 5 °C | 12 °C | 9 °C | 7 °C | 13 °C | 9 °C | 7 °C | 9 °C |
| Feels like | 4 °C | 2 °C | 12 °C | 8 °C | 6 °C | 13 °C | 7 °C | 5 °C | 7 °C |
| Wind | 3 m/s | 3 m/s | 1 m/s | 2 m/s | 2 m/s | 3 m/s | 3 m/s | 3 m/s | 3 m/s |
Cloud layers and weather: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).
Clearer skies nearby tonight
Forecast cloud during tonight's darkness: 42% here. The clearest option within 100 km is about 100 km to the north-east, with 6%. Open in OpenStreetMap
MET Norway forecast at 24 points within 100 km, averaged over the dark hours. Check roads and conditions before driving.
Score = activity (NOAA Kp and OVATION) × clear sky (MET Norway) × darkness × moonlight. Methodology
Weather in Lake Tekapo
The aurora only shows through clear skies, so the weather matters as much as the Kp index. Here is the general forecast for Lake Tekapo: temperature, wind and the chance of rain for the coming days.
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What you would see from Lake Tekapo
Facing south-south-west. Bands show where the aurora sits at two activity levels.
| Kp | What you see | Lower edge | Ray tops | Distance to the aurora |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Below the horizon | -1° | 3° | 1,279 km |
| 3 | Below the horizon | 1° | 6° | 1,056 km |
| 4 | Faint glow, mostly on camera | 3° | 10° | 834 km |
| 5 | Faint glow, mostly on camera | 7° | 15° | 612 km |
| 6 | Visible to the south-south-west | 13° | 25° | 389 km |
| 7 | Visible to the south-south-west | 31° | 49° | 167 km |
| 8 | Overhead and all around | – | – | – |
| 9 | Overhead and all around | – | – | – |
The Kp scale in plain words
Kp is a 0–9 score for how strongly the Earth's magnetic field is being shaken by the solar wind. The higher it goes, the further from the poles the northern lights reach. Kp 0–2 is a quiet night; Kp 5 and above is a geomagnetic storm.
- Kp 0–2 Quiet next 24 h Only under the auroral oval: northern Norway, Swedish and Finnish Lapland, Iceland, Alaska, northern Canada.
- Kp 3 Unsettled Bright in the Arctic; low on the horizon in central Scandinavia and southern Iceland.
- Kp 4 Active camera in Lake Tekapo Overhead in the Arctic; low in the north from southern Norway, Sweden, Finland and northern Scotland.
- Kp 5 Minor storm (G1) Scotland, southern Scandinavia, the Baltic states, the northern US states and southern Canada.
- Kp 6 Moderate storm (G2) eye in Lake Tekapo Northern England, Denmark, northern Germany and Poland, the US Midwest — often clearer in photos than to the eye.
- Kp 7 Strong storm (G3) Most of the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Czechia; red glow in photos from France and the northern Alps.
- Kp 8 Severe storm (G4) Central Europe to the eye; red sky in photos from northern Italy, Spain, the Balkans and Turkey's Black Sea coast.
- Kp 9 Extreme storm (G5) Seen across Europe and the US; in photos as far south as the Mediterranean, Turkey and North Africa (May 2024).
Light pollution
Pristine dark sky. Almost no artificial light: faint aurora and the Milky Way are easy to see.
Estimate from NASA VIIRS night-light data (sky-glow model within 50 km). Check access and private land before you go.
Hills and mountains
The terrain rises to about 4° above the horizon towards the south-south-west. That hides low aurora: here you need about Kp 5.7 instead of Kp 5.7. A hilltop, shore or open field with a clear view to the south-south-west helps.
From elevation data (AWS Terrain Tiles) along seven lines of sight up to 30 km.
Best months to see the aurora in Lake Tekapo
Share of nights 2005–2025 that were dark, active enough here and mostly clear.
May has been the best month (2% of nights), followed by June (2%).
| Month | Good nights | Clear nights | Darkness | Low / high |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | 2% | 71% | 9.5 h | 5° / 14°C |
| April | 0.8% | 69% | 11.0 h | 3° / 11°C |
| May | 2% | 68% | 12.0 h | 1° / 7°C |
| June | 2% | 72% | 12.8 h | -2° / 4°C |
| July | 0.8% | 68% | 12.4 h | -3° / 3°C |
| August | 2% | 67% | 11.5 h | -1° / 5°C |
| September | 2% | 64% | 9.9 h | -1° / 7°C |
| October | 0.8% | 60% | 8.4 h | 1° / 9°C |
Aurora nights in Lake Tekapo since 1995
Nights when Kp reached 5.7 or more while it was dark here.
Most recent strong nights
- 10 October 2026 · Kp 7.3
- 8 August 2026 · Kp 6.0
- 2 August 2026 · Kp 5.7
- 4 July 2026 · Kp 6.7
- 5 June 2026 · Kp 6.0
- 3 April 2026 · Kp 6.3
- 2 April 2026 · Kp 6.0
- 22 March 2026 · Kp 7.0
Where to watch near Lake Tekapo
-
Church of the Good Shepherd lakefront
Iconic lakeshore setting at the edge of the village with a wide view across the lake. · about 1 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Mt John Observatory southern viewpoint
South-facing summit lookout above the village used by stargazing tours; the darkest, highest easy vantage point. · about 9 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Lake Pukaki (information centre lookout)
Lakeside lookout on State Highway 8 inside the dark sky reserve with very little artificial light. · about 47 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
Local knowledge
- Lake Tekapo sits inside the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, designated in 2012 and covering about 4,367 km2.
- Aurora here is possible but not frequent; it needs a strong display and clear skies, so treat any sighting as a bonus to the excellent stargazing.
- April to September brings long, dark nights, but winter nights are very cold; dress in heavy layers.
- The summit of Mt John is reached at night only on a booked stargazing tour, which is the easiest way to view from the top.
- Check aurora alerts and the moon phase; a bright moon washes out faint aurora.
The Mt John access road is private and normally open only during the day (about 9am-4pm, with a road fee); do not attempt to drive up after hours.
Respect the Church of the Good Shepherd grounds and other photographers; use red light only and do not leave rubbish.
Roads in the Mackenzie Basin can be icy on winter nights.
Practical information
- Typical low / high in May
- 1° / 7°C
- What to wear
- Cool nights: layers, a windproof jacket, hat and gloves for standing still outside. Full clothing guide
- Emergency number
- 111 (free, works from mobiles without credit); 105 for non-emergency Police
- Winter driving
- NZTA advises anyone crossing alpine passes or travelling in the south and inland South Island in winter to carry chains and know how to fit them; from winter 2026 Queenstown Lakes District Council can fine drivers $750 for not fitting chains on council roads when 'chains required' signs are shown. Check NZTA Journey Planner for closures and 'chains essential' notices. Road conditions
- Access to land
- Freedom camping is allowed on DOC public conservation land unless a site is prohibited or restricted; scenic/recreation reserves are closed to it unless DOC provides a campsite, some sites are self-contained-vehicle only (from 7 June 2026 a green warrant card must be displayed), and breaches can be fined.
- Weather service
- MetService (Meteorological Service of New Zealand)
Questions and answers
What Kp do you need to see the aurora in Lake Tekapo?
From Lake Tekapo the aurora is seen only during geomagnetic storms (about Kp 5.7 or more), usually as a glow low in the south-south-west. Cameras often pick it up before the eye does.
Which way should I look for the aurora in Lake Tekapo?
Face south-south-west (about 194° from true north). At Kp 5.7 the lower edge of the aurora sits roughly 13° above the horizon; stronger activity lifts it higher and further across the sky.
What is the best month to see the aurora in Lake Tekapo?
Over 2005–2025, May gave the best odds in Lake Tekapo (2% of nights dark, active enough and mostly clear), followed by June (2%).
When is the aurora season in Lake Tekapo?
Lake Tekapo gets dark enough for the aurora all year round, though the long winter nights give the most hours to watch.
Is there much light pollution in Lake Tekapo?
Almost no artificial light: faint aurora and the Milky Way are easy to see.
When was the aurora last possible in Lake Tekapo?
The most recent night in our data when activity reached the level Lake Tekapo needs, during darkness, was 10 October 2026 (Kp 7.3). It has happened on 264 nights since 1995.
Also covered by this forecast
Villages and districts around Lake Tekapo share its forecast: within a few kilometres the sky, the Kp needed and the best direction are the same.
- Mackenzie District 8 km
- Burkes Pass 16 km
- Kimbell 22 km
- Winscombe 28 km
- Ashwick Flat 28 km
- Fairlie 30 km
- Sherwood Downs 31 km
- Waikarua 33 km
- Pusey 35 km
- Cricklewood 37 km