Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve stargazing in July 2027
Galactic core overhead in the southern winter. Tours from Tekapo.
Thu 1 Jul to Sat 31 Jul 2027
Best night: Fri 2 July 2027
Dark from 18:54 to 06:29 · 11.7 h without the moon · Milky Way core: 11.7 h
| Night of | Moon | Dark hours | Moon-free | Milky Way core | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 1 Jul | 9% | 11.7 | 11.3 | 11.3 h | 100 |
| Fri 2 Jul | 4% | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 h | 100 |
| Sat 3 Jul | 1% | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 h | 100 |
| Sun 4 Jul | 0% | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 h | 100 |
| Mon 5 Jul | 3% | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 h | 100 |
| Tue 6 Jul | 8% | 11.7 | 10.8 | 10.8 h | 100 |
| Wed 7 Jul | 15% | 11.7 | 9.5 | 9.3 h | 98 |
| Thu 8 Jul | 25% | 11.7 | 8.2 | 8.0 h | 94 |
| Fri 9 Jul | 35% | 11.5 | 6.8 | 6.7 h | 88 |
| Sat 10 Jul | 46% | 11.5 | 5.5 | 5.3 h | 79 |
| Sun 11 Jul | 57% | 11.5 | 4.3 | 4.0 h | 70 |
| Mon 12 Jul | 68% | 11.5 | 3.2 | 2.8 h | 58 |
| Tue 13 Jul | 77% | 11.5 | 2.0 | 1.5 h | 46 |
| Wed 14 Jul | 85% | 11.5 | 0.8 | moonlit only | 33 |
| Thu 15 Jul | 91% | 11.5 | 0.0 | moonlit only | 22 |
| Fri 16 Jul | 96% | 11.5 | 0.0 | moonlit only | 18 |
| Sat 17 Jul | 99% | 11.5 | 0.0 | moonlit only | 16 |
| Sun 18 Jul | 100% | 11.3 | 0.0 | moonlit only | 15 |
| Mon 19 Jul | 99% | 11.3 | 0.0 | moonlit only | 16 |
| Tue 20 Jul | 97% | 11.3 | 0.0 | moonlit only | 18 |
| Wed 21 Jul | 93% | 11.3 | 0.8 | 0.8 h | 27 |
| Thu 22 Jul | 87% | 11.3 | 2.0 | 2.0 h | 39 |
| Fri 23 Jul | 80% | 11.3 | 3.0 | 3.0 h | 50 |
| Sat 24 Jul | 71% | 11.3 | 4.0 | 4.0 h | 61 |
| Sun 25 Jul | 61% | 11.2 | 5.2 | 5.2 h | 72 |
| Mon 26 Jul | 51% | 11.2 | 6.3 | 6.3 h | 81 |
| Tue 27 Jul | 40% | 11.2 | 7.5 | 7.5 h | 89 |
| Wed 28 Jul | 30% | 11.2 | 8.8 | 8.8 h | 95 |
| Thu 29 Jul | 20% | 11.2 | 9.8 | 9.8 h | 98 |
| Fri 30 Jul | 11% | 11.2 | 11.0 | 9.7 h | 100 |
| Sat 31 Jul | 5% | 11.0 | 11.0 | 9.7 h | 100 |
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Questions
What is the best night for stargazing at Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve in July 2027?
The best nights are Fri 2 Jul, Sat 3 Jul, Sun 4 Jul, Mon 5 Jul, Thu 1 Jul, 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 July?
Yes, on 24 nights the galactic centre is above 10° during moon-free darkness, up to 11.7 hours a night.
Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve stargazing by month
Weather is not included. Times are local (Pacific/Auckland).