Southland Region, New ZealandMagnetic latitude 54.5°4 m above sea level
Southern lights in Stewart Island/Rakiura (Oban)
Stewart Island/Rakiura (Oban) needs an active night: from about Kp 4 the aurora appears low over the south-south-west horizon, and it rises higher as activity grows. Since 1995 that level (Kp 4.7) was reached during darkness here on 829 nights.
Right now
The solar wind is picking up — activity may jump within the hour. Keep this page open.
Updates every minute while this page is open.
Tonight in one minute
Not tonight
- Solar activity Too weak: Kp 2 expected, 4 needed here.
- Sky Overcast (92% cloud).
- Darkness Dark from 21:28 to 05:36.
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 Unlikely · Kp 3
- Thu 22 4 Possible · Kp 4
- Fri 23 4 Possible · Kp 4
- Sat 24 3 Unlikely · 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 Good chance · Kp 5
- Sun 1 5 Good chance · Kp 5
- Mon 2 3 Photos only · Kp 3
- Tue 3 2 No · Kp 2
- Wed 4 2 No · Kp 2
- Thu 5 2 No · Kp 2
- Fri 6 3 Photos only · Kp 3
- Sat 7 3 Photos only · Kp 3
Saturday 24 October — Possible · Kp 4 · best around 01:00 · Forecast cloud: 29%. · 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 04:55 local time
Unlikely
Best around 04:00. Forecast max Kp 2.0 (this place needs 4), average cloud 92%.
- Dark enough
- 21:28 – 05:36
- Sunset
- 20:18 · sunrise 06:46
- Moon
- 32% · ↑ 10:09 · ↓ 02:24
- Kp neededKp index: a 0–9 measure of geomagnetic activity. The higher it is, the further from the poles the aurora reaches.
- Kp 4
- Kp for photos
- In photos: from Kp 2.3 (a red glow low in the south-south-west).
- Look towards
- south-south-west (196°)
Clearer skies nearby tonight
Forecast cloud during tonight's darkness: 82% here. The clearest option within 100 km is about 100 km to the south-east, with 19%. 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
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What you would see from Stewart Island/Rakiura (Oban)
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 | 3° | 8° | 890 km |
| 3 | Faint glow, mostly on camera | 6° | 13° | 667 km |
| 4 | Visible to the south-south-west | 11° | 22° | 445 km |
| 5 | Visible to the south-south-west | 24° | 41° | 222 km |
| 6 | Overhead and all around | – | – | – |
| 7 | Overhead and all around | – | – | – |
| 8 | Overhead, and also to the north-north-east | – | – | – |
| 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 camera in Stewart Island/Rakiura (Oban) 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 eye in Stewart Island/Rakiura (Oban) 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) 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 8° above the horizon towards the south-south-west. That hides low aurora: here you need about Kp 4 instead of Kp 4. 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 Stewart Island/Rakiura (Oban)
Share of nights 2005–2025 that were dark, active enough here and mostly clear.
July has been the best month (6% of nights), followed by March (5%).
| Month | Good nights | Clear nights | Darkness | Low / high |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5% | 45% | 9.1 h | 11° / 15°C |
| April | 5% | 39% | 11.0 h | 10° / 13°C |
| May | 5% | 43% | 12.3 h | 9° / 12°C |
| June | 4% | 46% | 12.8 h | 8° / 10°C |
| July | 6% | 48% | 12.6 h | 7° / 10°C |
| August | 5% | 46% | 11.5 h | 7° / 10°C |
| September | 4% | 40% | 9.9 h | 8° / 11°C |
| October | 3% | 39% | 8.1 h | 8° / 11°C |
Aurora nights in Stewart Island/Rakiura (Oban) since 1995
Nights when Kp reached 4.7 or more while it was dark here.
Most recent strong nights
- 10 October 2026 · Kp 7.3
- 4 October 2026 · Kp 5.0
- 8 September 2026 · Kp 5.0
- 8 August 2026 · Kp 6.0
- 2 August 2026 · Kp 5.7
- 23 July 2026 · Kp 5.0
- 4 July 2026 · Kp 6.7
- 5 June 2026 · Kp 6.0
Where to watch near Stewart Island/Rakiura (Oban)
-
Observation Rock
Viewing platform a short walk above Oban with open views over Paterson Inlet. · about 1 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Ackers Point
Lighthouse headland at the end of a coastal walk east of Oban, with dark sea horizons. · about 4 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Lee Bay
Viewing platform and car park at the start of the Rakiura Track, far from village lights. · about 5 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Horseshoe Bay
Sheltered beach just north of Oban recommended by the sanctuary for night-sky watching. · about 3 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
Local knowledge
- Rakiura was named an International Dark Sky Sanctuary in January 2019, the southernmost in the world.
- Winter (June to August) is best: it is dark from about 7pm to 6:30am, whereas summer nights are only dark enough between midnight and 3am.
- Aurora is usually visible from populated areas only when activity reaches around Kp 4 or higher; use an aurora forecast app or aurora-service.net.
- Your eyes may see only moving pale ribbons; a camera will pick up the colours.
- Reach the island by ferry from Bluff or a short flight from Invercargill and stay at least two nights to improve your odds.
Respect the privacy of residents when watching from residential areas.
Tracks are often muddy and dark under bush; carry a head torch and keep to formed tracks at night.
Practical information
- Typical low / high in July
- 7° / 10°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 Stewart Island/Rakiura (Oban)?
Stewart Island/Rakiura (Oban) needs an active night: from about Kp 4 the aurora appears low over the south-south-west horizon, and it rises higher as activity grows.
Which way should I look for the aurora in Stewart Island/Rakiura (Oban)?
Face south-south-west (about 196° from true north). At Kp 4 the lower edge of the aurora sits roughly 11° above the horizon; stronger activity lifts it higher and further across the sky.
What is the best month to see the aurora in Stewart Island/Rakiura (Oban)?
Over 2005–2025, July gave the best odds in Stewart Island/Rakiura (Oban) (6% of nights dark, active enough and mostly clear), followed by March (5%).
When is the aurora season in Stewart Island/Rakiura (Oban)?
Stewart Island/Rakiura (Oban) 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 Stewart Island/Rakiura (Oban)?
Almost no artificial light: faint aurora and the Milky Way are easy to see.
When was the aurora last possible in Stewart Island/Rakiura (Oban)?
Activity last reached storm level (Kp 5 or more) during darkness in Stewart Island/Rakiura (Oban) on 10 October 2026 (Kp 7.3) — 829 such nights since 1995. Here the aurora also appears on many quieter nights.
Also covered by this forecast
Villages and districts around Stewart Island/Rakiura (Oban) share its forecast: within a few kilometres the sky, the Kp needed and the best direction are the same.
- Oban 0 km
- Halfmoon Bay 0 km