Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve stargazing in October 2027
Galactic core overhead in the southern winter. Tours from Tekapo.
Fri 1 Oct to Sun 31 Oct 2027
Best night: Fri 1 October 2027
Dark from 21:23 to 05:32 · 8.0 h without the moon · Milky Way core: 4.3 h
| Night of | Moon | Dark hours | Moon-free | Milky Way core | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 1 Oct | 3% | 8.2 | 8.0 | 4.3 h | 99 |
| Sat 2 Oct | 8% | 8.2 | 6.8 | 3.0 h | 98 |
| Sun 3 Oct | 14% | 8.2 | 5.7 | 1.8 h | 95 |
| Mon 4 Oct | 22% | 8.0 | 4.3 | 0.5 h | 90 |
| Tue 5 Oct | 31% | 8.0 | 3.3 | moonlit only | 83 |
| Wed 6 Oct | 40% | 8.0 | 2.5 | moonlit only | 75 |
| Thu 7 Oct | 50% | 7.8 | 1.8 | moonlit only | 66 |
| Fri 8 Oct | 59% | 7.8 | 1.2 | moonlit only | 55 |
| Sat 9 Oct | 68% | 7.8 | 0.8 | moonlit only | 46 |
| Sun 10 Oct | 77% | 7.7 | 0.3 | moonlit only | 35 |
| Mon 11 Oct | 84% | 7.7 | 0.0 | moonlit only | 26 |
| Tue 12 Oct | 90% | 7.5 | 0.0 | moonlit only | 21 |
| Wed 13 Oct | 95% | 7.5 | 0.0 | moonlit only | 17 |
| Thu 14 Oct | 98% | 7.5 | 0.0 | moonlit only | 14 |
| Fri 15 Oct | 100% | 7.3 | 0.0 | moonlit only | 12 |
| Sat 16 Oct | 99% | 7.3 | 0.0 | moonlit only | 13 |
| Sun 17 Oct | 96% | 7.3 | 0.3 | moonlit only | 19 |
| Mon 18 Oct | 91% | 7.2 | 1.5 | 1.5 h | 36 |
| Tue 19 Oct | 84% | 7.2 | 2.7 | 2.7 h | 52 |
| Wed 20 Oct | 75% | 7.0 | 3.7 | 2.7 h | 66 |
| Thu 21 Oct | 64% | 7.0 | 4.5 | 2.7 h | 77 |
| Fri 22 Oct | 53% | 7.0 | 5.2 | 2.5 h | 85 |
| Sat 23 Oct | 41% | 6.8 | 5.7 | 2.5 h | 90 |
| Sun 24 Oct | 30% | 6.8 | 6.2 | 2.3 h | 94 |
| Mon 25 Oct | 19% | 6.7 | 6.5 | 2.2 h | 96 |
| Tue 26 Oct | 11% | 6.7 | 6.7 | 2.2 h | 96 |
| Wed 27 Oct | 5% | 6.7 | 6.7 | 2.0 h | 96 |
| Thu 28 Oct | 1% | 6.5 | 6.5 | 2.0 h | 96 |
| Fri 29 Oct | 0% | 6.5 | 6.5 | 1.8 h | 96 |
| Sat 30 Oct | 1% | 6.3 | 6.3 | 1.7 h | 96 |
| Sun 31 Oct | 5% | 6.3 | 5.7 | 1.0 h | 95 |
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Questions
What is the best night for stargazing at Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve in October 2027?
The best nights are Fri 1 Oct, Sat 2 Oct, Mon 25 Oct, Tue 26 Oct, Wed 27 Oct, 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 October?
Yes, on 18 nights the galactic centre is above 10° during moon-free darkness, up to 4.3 hours a night.
Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve stargazing by month
Weather is not included. Times are local (Pacific/Auckland).