Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve stargazing in September 2027
Galactic core overhead in the southern winter. Tours from Tekapo.
Wed 1 Sep to Thu 30 Sep 2027
Best night: Wed 1 September 2027
Dark from 19:48 to 05:31 · 9.8 h without the moon · Milky Way core: 7.0 h
| Night of | Moon | Dark hours | Moon-free | Milky Way core | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 1 Sep | 1% | 9.8 | 9.8 | 7.0 h | 100 |
| Thu 2 Sep | 4% | 9.8 | 9.3 | 6.5 h | 100 |
| Fri 3 Sep | 10% | 9.7 | 8.0 | 5.2 h | 99 |
| Sat 4 Sep | 18% | 9.7 | 6.7 | 3.8 h | 95 |
| Sun 5 Sep | 27% | 9.7 | 5.5 | 2.5 h | 90 |
| Mon 6 Sep | 37% | 9.5 | 4.2 | 1.3 h | 83 |
| Tue 7 Sep | 47% | 9.5 | 3.2 | moonlit only | 74 |
| Wed 8 Sep | 57% | 9.5 | 2.2 | moonlit only | 63 |
| Thu 9 Sep | 66% | 9.3 | 1.3 | moonlit only | 52 |
| Fri 10 Sep | 75% | 9.3 | 0.7 | moonlit only | 41 |
| Sat 11 Sep | 82% | 9.3 | 0.2 | moonlit only | 31 |
| Sun 12 Sep | 89% | 9.3 | 0.0 | moonlit only | 24 |
| Mon 13 Sep | 94% | 9.2 | 0.0 | moonlit only | 20 |
| Tue 14 Sep | 98% | 9.2 | 0.0 | moonlit only | 17 |
| Wed 15 Sep | 100% | 9.2 | 0.0 | moonlit only | 15 |
| Thu 16 Sep | 100% | 9.0 | 0.0 | moonlit only | 15 |
| Fri 17 Sep | 98% | 9.0 | 0.0 | moonlit only | 17 |
| Sat 18 Sep | 94% | 9.0 | 0.8 | 0.8 h | 28 |
| Sun 19 Sep | 88% | 8.8 | 2.0 | 2.0 h | 42 |
| Mon 20 Sep | 80% | 8.8 | 3.2 | 3.2 h | 56 |
| Tue 21 Sep | 71% | 8.8 | 4.3 | 4.3 h | 69 |
| Wed 22 Sep | 60% | 8.7 | 5.5 | 5.2 h | 81 |
| Thu 23 Sep | 49% | 8.7 | 6.5 | 5.2 h | 89 |
| Fri 24 Sep | 37% | 8.7 | 7.2 | 5.0 h | 94 |
| Sat 25 Sep | 26% | 8.5 | 7.8 | 5.0 h | 97 |
| Sun 26 Sep | 17% | 8.5 | 8.3 | 4.8 h | 99 |
| Mon 27 Sep | 9% | 8.5 | 8.5 | 4.8 h | 99 |
| Tue 28 Sep | 3% | 8.3 | 8.3 | 4.7 h | 99 |
| Wed 29 Sep | 1% | 8.3 | 8.3 | 4.7 h | 99 |
| Thu 30 Sep | 0% | 8.3 | 8.3 | 4.5 h | 99 |
Rank your own travel dates Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve stargazing tours
Questions
What is the best night for stargazing at Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve in September 2027?
The best nights are Wed 1 Sep, Thu 2 Sep, Fri 3 Sep, Sun 26 Sep, Mon 27 Sep, 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 September?
Yes, on 19 nights the galactic centre is above 10° during moon-free darkness, up to 7.0 hours a night.
Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve stargazing by month
Weather is not included. Times are local (Pacific/Auckland).