Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve stargazing in May 2027
Galactic core overhead in the southern winter. Tours from Tekapo.
Sat 1 May to Mon 31 May 2027
Best night: Sun 9 May 2027
Dark from 19:10 to 06:02 · 10.8 h without the moon · Milky Way core: 9.8 h
| Night of | Moon | Dark hours | Moon-free | Milky Way core | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 1 May | 26% | 10.7 | 7.2 | 5.7 h | 93 |
| Sun 2 May | 17% | 10.7 | 8.3 | 6.8 h | 97 |
| Mon 3 May | 10% | 10.7 | 9.5 | 8.0 h | 99 |
| Tue 4 May | 5% | 10.8 | 10.7 | 9.2 h | 100 |
| Wed 5 May | 2% | 10.8 | 10.8 | 9.5 h | 100 |
| Thu 6 May | 0% | 10.8 | 10.8 | 9.5 h | 100 |
| Fri 7 May | 1% | 10.8 | 10.8 | 9.5 h | 100 |
| Sat 8 May | 5% | 10.8 | 10.8 | 9.7 h | 100 |
| Sun 9 May | 11% | 11.0 | 10.8 | 9.8 h | 100 |
| Mon 10 May | 20% | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.7 h | 98 |
| Tue 11 May | 30% | 11.0 | 8.3 | 8.3 h | 94 |
| Wed 12 May | 41% | 11.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 h | 87 |
| Thu 13 May | 53% | 11.0 | 5.7 | 5.7 h | 78 |
| Fri 14 May | 65% | 11.2 | 4.5 | 4.5 h | 67 |
| Sat 15 May | 75% | 11.2 | 3.2 | 3.2 h | 54 |
| Sun 16 May | 84% | 11.2 | 2.0 | 2.0 h | 41 |
| Mon 17 May | 91% | 11.2 | 0.7 | 0.7 h | 27 |
| Tue 18 May | 96% | 11.2 | 0.0 | moonlit only | 18 |
| Wed 19 May | 99% | 11.2 | 0.0 | moonlit only | 16 |
| Thu 20 May | 100% | 11.3 | 0.0 | moonlit only | 15 |
| Fri 21 May | 99% | 11.3 | 0.0 | moonlit only | 16 |
| Sat 22 May | 95% | 11.3 | 0.0 | moonlit only | 19 |
| Sun 23 May | 91% | 11.3 | 0.0 | moonlit only | 23 |
| Mon 24 May | 85% | 11.3 | 1.2 | 0.7 h | 35 |
| Tue 25 May | 77% | 11.3 | 2.2 | 1.8 h | 47 |
| Wed 26 May | 69% | 11.5 | 3.3 | 3.0 h | 58 |
| Thu 27 May | 60% | 11.5 | 4.3 | 4.0 h | 68 |
| Fri 28 May | 50% | 11.5 | 5.5 | 5.3 h | 78 |
| Sat 29 May | 41% | 11.5 | 6.5 | 6.3 h | 85 |
| Sun 30 May | 31% | 11.5 | 7.7 | 7.5 h | 91 |
| Mon 31 May | 22% | 11.5 | 8.8 | 8.8 h | 96 |
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Questions
What is the best night for stargazing at Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve in May 2027?
The best nights are Sun 9 May, Sat 8 May, Wed 5 May, Thu 6 May, Fri 7 May, 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 May?
Yes, on 25 nights the galactic centre is above 10° during moon-free darkness, up to 9.8 hours a night.
Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve stargazing by month
Weather is not included. Times are local (Pacific/Auckland).