Southern Lights Forecast
for Queenstown / Southland
Queenstown / Southland, New Zealand — about -49° geomagnetic latitude. Lake/mountain foregrounds.
Can you see the aurora in Queenstown / Southland?
Yes. From a dark site you need about Kp 5 for a faint glow low on the southern horizon, and roughly Kp 7 for bright aurora directly overhead. At -49° geomagnetic latitude this spot sits well outside the oval — it takes a major geomagnetic storm.
Over the last 12 months the planetary Kp peaked at the levels Queenstown / Southland needs on the days shown — out of 365. Kp is a global index, so these are the odds the sky was active enough; you still need clear, dark skies here. In 94 years on record the strongest day hit Kp 9.
The full Kp archive, 1932 → today →When to go
The season runs late March to late September, when the nights are long and dark. You also need clear skies and a low moon — even a strong Kp is useless under cloud. Check tonight's live call above, then plan a night around the dark window, cloud and moon.
Nearby in Oceania
From the bookChasing PinkSeven winters of chasing the northern lights — ten chapters, free to read here.Start reading →