Mount Cook - Northern Lights - New Zealand
Northern Lights photography conditions - combines aurora activity levels with clear skies and proper darkness for optimal viewing.
No Northern Lights opportunities in the next 14 days
Tip: Scroll down to the 72-hour table to see exactly which condition fails hour by hour.
Currently
Real-time conditionsUpcoming Opportunities
When all conditions match, PhotoWeather marks an opportunity window.
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 ruleThis 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 hourTime Pacific/Auckland | Aurora Quality ≥ 50.0% | Solar Elevation ≤ -8.0° | Aurora Activity ≥ 50.0% | Total Cloud Coverage ≤ 30.0% | Visibility ≥ 8000.0m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Feb 14 | |||||
| 07:00 | 0% | 0.33° | 0% | 0.1% | 24134m |
| 08:00 | 0% | 10° | 0% | 27% | 24135m |
| 09:00 | 0% | 21° | 0% | 9.4% | 24134m |
| 10:00 | 0% | 32° | 0% | 4.9% | 24135m |
| 11:00 | 0% | 42° | 0% | 0.5% | 24134m |
| 12:00 | 0% | 51° | 0% | 1.2% | 24134m |
| 13:00 | 0% | 57° | 0% | 5.5% | 24135m |
| 14:00 | 0% | 59° | 0% | 74% | 24134m |
| 15:00 | 0% | 56° | 0% | 90% | 24134m |
| 16:00 | 0% | 49° | 0% | 35% | 24135m |
| 17:00 | 0% | 40° | 0% | 18% | 24134m |
| 18:00 | 0% | 29° | 0% | 39% | 19683m |
| 19:00 | 0% | 19° | 0% | 94% | 17380m |
| 20:00 | 0% | 8° | 0% | 99% | 6848m |
| 21:00 | 0% | -2.3° | 0% | 100% | 2986m |
| 22:00 | 0% | -12° | 0% | 100% | 1915m |
| 23:00 | 0% | -20° | 0% | 100% | 2208m |
| Sun, Feb 15 | |||||
| 24:00 | 0% | -27° | 0% | 100% | 3344m |
| 01:00 | 0% | -32° | 0% | 82% | 18269m |
| 02:00 | 0% | -33° | 0% | 100% | 18364m |
| 03:00 | 0% | -31° | 0% | 100% | 19195m |
| 04:00 | 0% | -26° | 0% | 100% | 24135m |
| 05:00 | 0% | -19° | 0% | 94% | 24134m |
| 06:00 | 0% | -10° | 0% | 59% | 24135m |
| 07:00 | 0% | 0.13° | 0% | 62% | 24134m |
| 08:00 | 0% | 10° | 0% | 61% | 24134m |
| 09:00 | 0% | 21° | 0% | 14% | 24134m |
| 10:00 | 0% | 31° | 0% | 19% | 24134m |
| 11:00 | 0% | 41° | 0% | 96% | 24134m |
| 12:00 | 0% | 50° | 0% | 98% | 24134m |
| 13:00 | 0% | 56° | 0% | 100% | 24134m |
| 14:00 | 0% | 58° | 0% | 100% | 24134m |
| 15:00 | 0% | 55° | 0% | 100% | 24135m |
| 16:00 | 0% | 48° | 0% | 100% | 24134m |
| 17:00 | 0% | 39° | 0% | 100% | 24135m |
| 18:00 | 0% | 29° | 0% | 100% | 24135m |
| 19:00 | 0% | 18° | 0% | 100% | 24135m |
| 20:00 | 0% | 7.8° | 0% | 100% | 24135m |
| 21:00 | 0% | -2.6° | 0% | 100% | 24134m |
| 22:00 | 0% | -12° | 0% | 100% | 24135m |
| 23:00 | 0% | -21° | 0% | 100% | 24134m |
| Mon, Feb 16 | |||||
| 24:00 | 0% | -28° | 0% | 100% | 24134m |
| 01:00 | 0% | -32° | 0% | 100% | 24135m |
| 02:00 | 0% | -33° | 0% | 100% | 24135m |
| 03:00 | 0% | -31° | 0% | 100% | 24134m |
| 04:00 | 0% | -26° | 0% | 100% | 24135m |
| 05:00 | 0% | -19° | 0% | 100% | 24135m |
| 06:00 | 0% | -10° | 0% | 100% | 24135m |
| 07:00 | 0% | -0.15° | 0% | 100% | 24135m |
| 08:00 | 0% | 9.9° | 0% | 100% | 18030m |
| 09:00 | 0% | 21° | 0% | 100% | 24135m |
| 10:00 | 0% | 31° | 0% | 100% | 23902m |
| 11:00 | 0% | 41° | 0% | 100% | 24135m |
| 12:00 | 0% | 50° | 0% | 100% | 24135m |
| 13:00 | 0% | 56° | 0% | 100% | 24135m |
| 14:00 | 0% | 58° | 0% | 100% | 21387m |
| 15:00 | 0% | 55° | 0% | 100% | 18640m |
| 16:00 | 0% | 48° | 0% | 100% | 15892m |
| 17:00 | 0% | 39° | 0% | 100% | 15854m |
| 18:00 | 0% | 29° | 0% | 100% | 15817m |
| 19:00 | 0% | 18° | 0% | 100% | 15780m |
| 20:00 | 0% | 7.5° | 0% | 100% | 15817m |
| 21:00 | 0% | -2.8° | 0% | 100% | 15854m |
| 22:00 | 0% | -13° | 0% | 100% | 15891m |
| 23:00 | 0% | -21° | 0% | 99% | 18639m |
| Tue, Feb 17 | |||||
| 24:00 | 0% | -28° | 0% | 99% | 21387m |
| 01:00 | 0% | -32° | 0% | 98% | 24135m |
| 02:00 | 0% | -33° | 0% | 99% | 21410m |
| 03:00 | 0% | -32° | 0% | 99% | 18684m |
| 04:00 | 0% | -27° | 0% | 100% | 15959m |
| 05:00 | 0% | -19° | 0% | 95% | 18685m |
| 06:00 | 0% | -11° | 0% | 90% | 21410m |
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