Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve stargazing in August 2027
Galactic core overhead in the southern winter. Tours from Tekapo.
Sun 1 Aug to Tue 31 Aug 2027
Best night: Sun 1 August 2027
Dark from 19:18 to 06:14 · 11.0 h without the moon · Milky Way core: 9.5 h
| Night of | Moon | Dark hours | Moon-free | Milky Way core | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1 Aug | 1% | 11.0 | 11.0 | 9.5 h | 100 |
| Mon 2 Aug | 0% | 11.0 | 11.0 | 9.5 h | 100 |
| Tue 3 Aug | 2% | 11.0 | 11.0 | 9.3 h | 100 |
| Wed 4 Aug | 6% | 11.0 | 10.3 | 8.7 h | 100 |
| Thu 5 Aug | 13% | 10.8 | 8.8 | 7.2 h | 98 |
| Fri 6 Aug | 21% | 10.8 | 7.7 | 6.0 h | 95 |
| Sat 7 Aug | 31% | 10.8 | 6.3 | 4.5 h | 89 |
| Sun 8 Aug | 42% | 10.8 | 5.2 | 3.3 h | 82 |
| Mon 9 Aug | 52% | 10.8 | 4.0 | 2.0 h | 72 |
| Tue 10 Aug | 62% | 10.7 | 2.7 | 0.8 h | 60 |
| Wed 11 Aug | 72% | 10.7 | 1.7 | moonlit only | 49 |
| Thu 12 Aug | 80% | 10.7 | 0.8 | moonlit only | 37 |
| Fri 13 Aug | 87% | 10.7 | 0.2 | moonlit only | 27 |
| Sat 14 Aug | 93% | 10.5 | 0.0 | moonlit only | 21 |
| Sun 15 Aug | 97% | 10.5 | 0.0 | moonlit only | 18 |
| Mon 16 Aug | 99% | 10.5 | 0.0 | moonlit only | 16 |
| Tue 17 Aug | 100% | 10.5 | 0.0 | moonlit only | 15 |
| Wed 18 Aug | 99% | 10.3 | 0.0 | moonlit only | 16 |
| Thu 19 Aug | 96% | 10.3 | 0.3 | moonlit only | 21 |
| Fri 20 Aug | 91% | 10.3 | 1.3 | 1.3 h | 33 |
| Sat 21 Aug | 84% | 10.3 | 2.5 | 2.5 h | 46 |
| Sun 22 Aug | 76% | 10.2 | 3.7 | 3.7 h | 59 |
| Mon 23 Aug | 66% | 10.2 | 4.8 | 4.8 h | 70 |
| Tue 24 Aug | 56% | 10.2 | 6.0 | 6.0 h | 81 |
| Wed 25 Aug | 45% | 10.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 h | 89 |
| Thu 26 Aug | 33% | 10.0 | 8.2 | 7.5 h | 95 |
| Fri 27 Aug | 23% | 10.0 | 9.2 | 7.5 h | 98 |
| Sat 28 Aug | 14% | 10.0 | 9.8 | 7.3 h | 100 |
| Sun 29 Aug | 7% | 10.0 | 10.0 | 7.3 h | 100 |
| Mon 30 Aug | 2% | 9.8 | 9.8 | 7.2 h | 100 |
| Tue 31 Aug | 0% | 9.8 | 9.8 | 7.2 h | 100 |
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Questions
What is the best night for stargazing at Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve in August 2027?
The best nights are Sun 1 Aug, Mon 2 Aug, Tue 3 Aug, Wed 4 Aug, Sat 28 Aug, when the sky is fully dark and the moon is down for most of the night.
Can you see the Milky Way core at Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve in August?
Yes, on 22 nights the galactic centre is above 10° during moon-free darkness, up to 9.5 hours a night.
Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve stargazing by month
Weather is not included. Times are local (Pacific/Auckland).