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Rule Northern Lights

Mount Cook - Northern Lights - New Zealand

Twizel, Canterbury, New Zealand

Northern Lights photography conditions - combines aurora activity levels with clear skies and proper darkness for optimal viewing.

No opportunities right now
Here’s what usually blocks matches

No Northern Lights opportunities in the next 14 days

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Rule requirements (key thresholds)
Aurora Quality · ≥ 50.0% Solar Elevation · ≤ -8.0° Aurora Activity · ≥ 50.0% Total Cloud Coverage · ≤ 30.0%

Tip: Scroll down to the 72-hour table to see exactly which condition fails hour by hour.

Most common blockers (next 72 hours)
Aurora Quality 100% failing
Aurora Activity 100% failing
Total Cloud Coverage 64% failing

Currently

Real-time conditions
Aurora Quality
0%
Kp IndexKp 4 (Unsettled)
Sun Elevation8.3° (Daylight)
Cloud Cover48%

Upcoming Opportunities

When all conditions match, PhotoWeather marks an opportunity window.

Times shown in Pacific/Auckland

No opportunities in the next 10 days

See the blocker timeline below to understand which conditions are preventing matches.

What this forecast looks for

Plain-language explanation from the rule

This forecast tracks the conditions that create New Zealand's most spectacular night sky and aurora photography. We combine aurora data, cloud cover, and visibility to predict when the Southern Alps deliver optimal conditions.

New Zealand's South Island offers some of the world's darkest skies, officially recognized in the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve. The combination of aurora australis (Southern Lights), pristine alpine landscapes, and turquoise glacial lakes creates photography opportunities found nowhere else.

What makes New Zealand special for photography:

  • Dark Sky Reserve - Lake Tekapo region has protected dark skies rivaling the best in the world
  • Aurora australis - Southern Lights visible during geomagnetic activity, especially in winter
  • Glacial lakes - Turquoise waters of Tekapo and Pukaki provide stunning foregrounds
  • Alpine scenery - Mount Cook (Aoraki) and the Southern Alps offer dramatic backdrops

Aurora viewing peaks from March through September (Southern Hemisphere autumn/winter). Clear, moonless nights are ideal for both astrophotography and aurora. The Church of the Good Shepherd at Lake Tekapo is an iconic composition but can be crowded—explore the surrounding shoreline for unique angles.

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72-hour requirements breakdown

What passed or failed, hour by hour
0matching hours in the next 95 hours
AND logic: all conditions required
Meets requirement
Misses requirement
Time
Pacific/Auckland
Aurora Quality
≥ 50.0%
Solar Elevation
≤ -8.0°
Aurora Activity
≥ 50.0%
Total Cloud Coverage
≤ 30.0%
Visibility
≥ 8000.0m
Sun, Feb 22
08:000%8.5°0%3.1%24135m
09:000%19°0%1.9%24134m
10:000%30°0%1.1%24135m
11:000%40°0%0.8%24135m
12:000%48°0%0.1%24135m
13:000%54°0%4.9%24135m
14:000%56°0%84%24135m
15:000%53°0%23%24134m
16:000%46°0%100%24135m
17:000%37°0%100%24134m
18:000%27°0%100%24135m
19:000%17°8%100%24134m
20:000%6°8%98%24134m
21:000%-4.5°20%39%24134m
22:0044%-14°18%5.6%24135m
23:000%-23°8%0%24135m
Mon, Feb 23
24:000%-30°0%0%24135m
01:000%-34°0%5.7%24134m
02:000%-36°0%5%24135m
03:000%-34°0%2.2%24135m
04:000%-29°0%19%24135m
05:000%-21°0%0%24135m
06:000%-12°0%5%24135m
07:000%-2.2°0%58%24135m
08:000%8.3°0%48%24134m
09:000%19°0%34%24134m
10:000%29°0%100%24135m
11:000%39°0%100%24135m
12:000%48°0%100%24135m
13:000%54°0%44%24135m
14:000%56°0%99%24135m
15:000%53°0%100%24135m
16:000%46°0%100%24135m
17:000%37°0%100%24134m
18:000%27°0%100%24135m
19:000%16°0%100%24134m
20:000%5.7°0%100%24135m
21:000%-4.8°0%100%24134m
22:000%-15°0%100%24135m
23:000%-23°0%100%24134m
Tue, Feb 24
24:000%-30°0%99%24134m
01:000%-35°0%87%24135m
02:000%-36°0%26%24134m
03:000%-34°0%0.3%24135m
04:000%-29°0%1.4%24135m
05:000%-21°0%9.5%24134m
06:000%-13°0%21%24134m
07:000%-2.4°0%27%24134m
08:000%8.1°0%38%24135m
09:000%19°0%50%24135m
10:000%29°0%51%24135m
11:000%39°0%51%24135m
12:000%48°0%64%24134m
13:000%53°0%55%24135m
14:000%55°0%26%24134m
15:000%52°0%9.9%24135m
16:000%46°0%9.6%24135m
17:000%37°0%31%24135m
18:000%27°0%100%24135m
19:000%16°0%47%24135m
20:000%5.4°0%5%24134m
21:000%-5.1°0%5%24134m
22:000%-15°0%5%24135m
23:000%-24°0%0%24135m
Wed, Feb 25
24:000%-31°0%0%24134m
01:000%-35°0%0%24135m
02:000%-36°0%0%24134m
03:000%-34°0%0%24135m
04:000%-29°0%5%24135m
05:000%-22°0%2.8%24134m
06:000%-13°0%5%24135m
07:000%-2.7°0%2.8%24135m
08:000%7.8°0%1.2%24134m
09:000%18°0%5.1%24134m
10:000%29°0%8%24134m
11:000%39°0%14%24134m
12:000%47°0%28%24134m
13:000%53°0%100%24135m
14:000%55°0%100%24135m
15:000%52°0%100%24135m
16:000%45°0%100%24135m
17:000%36°0%100%24135m
18:000%26°0%100%24135m
19:000%16°0%100%24135m
20:000%5.2°0%100%24135m
21:000%-5.4°0%100%24135m
22:000%-15°0%100%24135m
23:000%-24°0%100%24135m
Thu, Feb 26
24:000%-31°0%100%24135m
01:000%-35°0%100%24135m
02:000%-37°0%100%24135m
03:000%-35°0%100%24135m
04:000%-30°0%100%24135m
05:000%-22°0%100%24135m
06:000%-13°0%100%24135m
How to read: colored cells show whether each predicate requirement is met; highlighted rows mean the full rule matched (an opportunity).

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