Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve stargazing in November 2026
Galactic core overhead in the southern winter. Tours from Tekapo.
Sun 1 Nov to Mon 30 Nov 2026
Best night: Thu 5 November 2026
Dark from 22:27 to 04:19 · 6.0 h without the moon · Milky Way core: 1.0 h
| Night of | Moon | Dark hours | Moon-free | Milky Way core | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1 Nov | 56% | 6.2 | 4.7 | 1.5 h | 84 |
| Mon 2 Nov | 44% | 6.2 | 5.0 | 1.3 h | 88 |
| Tue 3 Nov | 33% | 6.2 | 5.5 | 1.3 h | 92 |
| Wed 4 Nov | 23% | 6.0 | 5.8 | 1.2 h | 94 |
| Thu 5 Nov | 14% | 6.0 | 6.0 | 1.0 h | 95 |
| Fri 6 Nov | 8% | 5.8 | 5.8 | 1.0 h | 95 |
| Sat 7 Nov | 3% | 5.8 | 5.8 | 0.8 h | 95 |
| Sun 8 Nov | 1% | 5.7 | 5.7 | 0.8 h | 94 |
| Mon 9 Nov | 0% | 5.7 | 5.7 | 0.7 h | 94 |
| Tue 10 Nov | 2% | 5.7 | 5.7 | 0.5 h | 94 |
| Wed 11 Nov | 5% | 5.5 | 5.0 | moonlit only | 94 |
| Thu 12 Nov | 10% | 5.5 | 4.2 | below horizon | 92 |
| Fri 13 Nov | 16% | 5.3 | 3.2 | below horizon | 88 |
| Sat 14 Nov | 23% | 5.3 | 2.7 | below horizon | 84 |
| Sun 15 Nov | 31% | 5.3 | 2.2 | below horizon | 78 |
| Mon 16 Nov | 41% | 5.2 | 1.7 | below horizon | 70 |
| Tue 17 Nov | 50% | 5.2 | 1.3 | below horizon | 62 |
| Wed 18 Nov | 60% | 5.2 | 1.0 | below horizon | 52 |
| Thu 19 Nov | 70% | 5.0 | 0.5 | below horizon | 40 |
| Fri 20 Nov | 79% | 5.0 | 0.3 | below horizon | 31 |
| Sat 21 Nov | 87% | 4.8 | 0.0 | below horizon | 19 |
| Sun 22 Nov | 93% | 4.8 | 0.0 | below horizon | 14 |
| Mon 23 Nov | 98% | 4.8 | 0.0 | below horizon | 10 |
| Tue 24 Nov | 100% | 4.7 | 0.0 | below horizon | 8 |
| Wed 25 Nov | 99% | 4.7 | 0.0 | below horizon | 9 |
| Thu 26 Nov | 96% | 4.7 | 0.0 | below horizon | 11 |
| Fri 27 Nov | 90% | 4.5 | 0.8 | below horizon | 30 |
| Sat 28 Nov | 81% | 4.5 | 1.5 | below horizon | 46 |
| Sun 29 Nov | 72% | 4.5 | 2.2 | below horizon | 61 |
| Mon 30 Nov | 61% | 4.3 | 2.5 | below horizon | 70 |
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Questions
What is the best night for stargazing at Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve in November 2026?
The best nights are Thu 5 Nov, Fri 6 Nov, Sat 7 Nov, Wed 4 Nov, Sun 8 Nov, 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 November?
Yes, on 10 nights the galactic centre is above 10° during moon-free darkness, up to 1.5 hours a night.
Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve stargazing by month
Weather is not included. Times are local (Pacific/Auckland).