When is Milky Way season in New Zealand?
On moonless nights the bright core of the Milky Way stands clear of the horizon in New Zealand from February to October. It passes close to overhead everywhere: about 83° high at Great Barrier Island, Auckland, and about 72° at Stewart Island/Rakiura, Southland.
When is Milky Way season in each part of New Zealand?
The months when most of a region’s places have the core up, how high it climbs at its highest, the median core nights in 2027, and the darkest place to see it from.
| State or region | Season | Core height | Nights in 2027 | Darkest place to see it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gisborne | February to October | up to 80° | 183 | GisborneBortle 5, 183 nights |
| Waikato | February to October | up to 81° | 182 | CambridgeBortle 5, 182 nights |
| Auckland | February to October | up to 83° | 181 | Great Barrier IslandBortle 3, 180 nights |
| Bay of Plenty | February to October | up to 81° | 181 | Te PukeBortle 5, 181 nights |
| Hawke's Bay | February to October | up to 80° | 181 | HastingsBortle 6, 181 nights |
| Marlborough | February to October | up to 77° | 181 | BlenheimBortle 5, 181 nights |
| Nelson | February to October | up to 78° | 181 | NelsonBortle 5, 181 nights |
| Northland | February to October | up to 83° | 181 | WhangareiBortle 6, 181 nights |
| Taranaki | February to October | up to 80° | 181 | Egmont National ParkBortle 3, 181 nights |
| Tasman | February to October | up to 78° | 181 | Nelson Lakes National ParkBortle 2, 181 nights |
| Wellington | February to October | up to 78° | 181 | the Wairarapa Dark Sky ReserveBortle 4, 181 nights |
| West Coast | February to October | up to 77° | 180 | Paparoa National ParkBortle 2, 181 nights |
| Canterbury | February to October | up to 77° | 180 | Aoraki MackenzieBortle 2, 181 nights |
| Manawatū-Whanganui | February to October | up to 80° | 180 | Tongariro National ParkBortle 3, 181 nights |
| Otago | February to October | up to 75° | 180 | Tāhuna GlenorchyBortle 2, 180 nights |
| Southland | February to October | up to 74° | 180 | Fiordland National ParkBortle 2, 180 nights |
The darkest places in New Zealand with the most Milky Way nights
Bortle 1 to 3 places, by nights in 2027 with the core more than 10° up for an hour of moonless darkness.
- Arthur's Pass National Park Canterbury · Bortle 2 · core up to 76°182 nights
- Tongariro National Park Manawatū-Whanganui · Bortle 3 · core up to 80°181 nights
- Egmont National Park Taranaki · Bortle 3 · core up to 80°181 nights
- Whanganui National Park Manawatū-Whanganui · Bortle 3 · core up to 79°181 nights
- Abel Tasman National Park Tasman · Bortle 3 · core up to 78°181 nights
- Kahurangi National Park Tasman · Bortle 2 · core up to 78°181 nights
- Wai-iti Tasman · Bortle 3 · core up to 78°181 nights
- Nelson Lakes National Park Tasman · Bortle 2 · core up to 77°181 nights
- Paparoa National Park West Coast · Bortle 2 · core up to 77°181 nights
- Oxford Forest Conservation Area Canterbury · Bortle 3 · core up to 76°181 nights
Which months have the most Milky Way nights in New Zealand?
The median place has the core up on the most moonless nights in May. South of the equator the core rises before dawn in autumn, is up most of the winter night and sets in the evening by spring; each place page lists its own nights and the 2027 new moons.
How the Milky Way dates for New Zealand are calculated
The positions of the sun, the moon and the center of the Milky Way are calculated for every night of 2027 at each place. A night counts when the core stands more than 10° above the horizon for at least an hour while the sun is more than 18° below the horizon and the moon has set. These are calculated positions; whether a night is clear is only known closer to the date. How it works