Otago Region, New ZealandMagnetic latitude 52.4°Population 10,442328 m above sea level
Can you see the northern lights in Queenstown?
From Queenstown the aurora is seen only during geomagnetic storms (about Kp 5.3 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 5.3) was reached during darkness here on 386 nights.
Right now
Quiet right now (Kp 1.0).
Updates every minute while this page is open.
Tonight in one minute
Not tonight
- Solar activity Too weak: Kp 2 expected, 5.3 needed here.
- Sky Partly cloudy (68% cloud) — look for gaps.
- Darkness Dark from 21:20 to 05:39.
What to do: Not tonight — your next chance is shown just below.
- Detailed forecast Fri 16 2 No · Kp 2
- Sat 17 1.3 No · Kp 1.3
- Sun 18 1.3 No · Kp 1.3
- 27-day trend Mon 19 2 No · Kp 2
- Tue 20 2 No · Kp 2
- Wed 21 3 No · Kp 3
- Thu 22 4 Photos only · Kp 4
- Fri 23 4 Photos only · Kp 4
- Sat 24 3 No · Kp 3
- Sun 25 2 No · Kp 2
- Mon 26 2 No · Kp 2
- Tue 27 2 No · Kp 2
- Wed 28 2 No · Kp 2
- Thu 29 2 No · Kp 2
- Fri 30 2 No · Kp 2
- Sat 31 5 Photos only · Kp 5
- Sun 1 5 Photos only · Kp 5
- Mon 2 3 No · Kp 3
- Tue 3 2 No · Kp 2
- Wed 4 2 No · Kp 2
- Thu 5 2 No · Kp 2
- Fri 6 3 No · Kp 3
- Sat 7 3 No · Kp 3
Friday 23 October — Photos only · Kp 4 · best around 01:00 · Forecast cloud: 6%. · 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 03:33 local time
Unlikely
Best around 03:00. Forecast max Kp 2.0 (this place needs 5.3), average cloud 68%.
- Dark enough
- 21:20 – 05:39
- Sunset
- 20:13 · sunrise 06:47
- Moon
- 31% · ↑ 10:17 · ↓ 02:12
- Kp neededKp index: a 0–9 measure of geomagnetic activity. The higher it is, the further from the poles the aurora reaches.
- Kp 5.3 (Kp 5 with an open horizon)
- Kp for photos
- In photos: from Kp 3.7 (a red glow low in the south-south-west).
- Look towards
- south-south-west (196°)
Clearer skies nearby tonight
Tonight's cloud forecast is similar in every direction within 100 km (22% here), so driving is unlikely to help.
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
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What you would see from Queenstown
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 | 0° | 5° | 1,123 km |
| 3 | Below the horizon | 3° | 8° | 901 km |
| 4 | Faint glow, mostly on camera | 6° | 13° | 678 km |
| 5 | Faint glow, mostly on camera | 11° | 21° | 456 km |
| 6 | Visible to the south-south-west | 23° | 39° | 234 km |
| 7 | Visible to the south-south-west | 84° | 87° | 11 km |
| 8 | Overhead and all around | – | – | – |
| 9 | Overhead, and also to the north-north-east | – | – | – |
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 Queenstown Overhead in the Arctic; low in the north from southern Norway, Sweden, Finland and northern Scotland.
- Kp 5 Minor storm (G1) eye in Queenstown Scotland, southern Scandinavia, the Baltic states, the northern US states and southern Canada.
- Kp 6 Moderate storm (G2) 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
Suburban sky. Noticeable sky glow. Bright displays are visible, but driving out of town makes a clear difference.
A noticeably darker area starts about 5 km to the south-west. Open in OpenStreetMap
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 10° above the horizon towards the south-south-west. That hides low aurora: here you need about Kp 5.3 instead of Kp 5. 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 Queenstown
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% | 59% | 9.4 h | 5° / 14°C |
| April | 0.6% | 55% | 11.0 h | 3° / 11°C |
| May | 2% | 52% | 12.1 h | 1° / 7°C |
| June | 2% | 61% | 12.8 h | -2° / 4°C |
| July | 0.6% | 59% | 12.5 h | -2° / 3°C |
| August | 1% | 54% | 11.5 h | -1° / 5°C |
| September | 2% | 55% | 9.9 h | 0° / 8°C |
| October | 0.6% | 55% | 8.3 h | 1° / 10°C |
Aurora nights in Queenstown since 1995
Nights when Kp reached 5.3 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
- 15 May 2026 · Kp 5.3
- 19 April 2026 · Kp 5.3
- 18 April 2026 · Kp 5.3
Where to watch near Queenstown
-
Queenstown Gardens
South side of the town peninsula, the closest easy spot for strong displays. · about 1 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Moke Lake
Lake far enough from town to escape its light pollution, with reflections on calm nights. · about 15 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Glenorchy Wharf
Lakefront in the Glenorchy Dark Sky Sanctuary with views down Lake Whakatipu. · about 46 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Gibbston
Wine valley inside the Kawarau Gibbston Dark Sky Park east of Queenstown. · about 25 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
Local knowledge
- Viewing needs high solar activity, clear dark skies and a location with a southerly aspect.
- Mountains block much of the southern horizon, so aurora usually has to be strong to rise above the peaks.
- Tāhuna Glenorchy became an International Dark Sky Sanctuary in February 2025, and Kawarau Gibbston is a certified Dark Sky Park.
- Phones and cameras often show more colour than the naked eye; use a tripod or steady surface.
- March to September brings longer, darker nights.
The road to Moke Lake is unsealed and narrow; take care in the dark and in frost.
Freedom camping is restricted around Queenstown Lakes; use designated campsites only.
Practical information
- Nearest airport
- Queenstown Airport (ZQN) · 7 km
- 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 Queenstown?
From Queenstown the aurora is seen only during geomagnetic storms (about Kp 5.3 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 Queenstown?
Face south-south-west (about 196° from true north). At Kp 5.3 the lower edge of the aurora sits roughly 23° above the horizon; stronger activity lifts it higher and further across the sky.
What is the best month to see the aurora in Queenstown?
Over 2005–2025, May gave the best odds in Queenstown (2% of nights dark, active enough and mostly clear), followed by June (2%).
When is the aurora season in Queenstown?
Queenstown 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 Queenstown?
Noticeable sky glow. Bright displays are visible, but driving out of town makes a clear difference. A noticeably darker area starts about 5 km to the south-west.
When was the aurora last possible in Queenstown?
The most recent night in our data when activity reached the level Queenstown needs, during darkness, was 10 October 2026 (Kp 7.3). It has happened on 386 nights since 1995.
Also covered by this forecast
Villages and districts around Queenstown share its forecast: within a few kilometres the sky, the Kp needed and the best direction are the same.
- Fernhill 3 km
- Closeburn 16 km
- Creighton 18 km
- Glenorchy 30 km
- Kinloch 32 km