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15 towns · southern lights

Aurora towns in New Zealand

Answer

Glow tracks 15 towns in New Zealand, 11 with their own indexed page. On the IGRF-14 dipole they run from Invercargill at 50.2° to Rangiora at 46.5°, with a median of 48.4 degrees geomagnetic. Among the 13 countries with a Glow hub, that median ranks 12th.
48.4°
median geomagnetic latitude
IGRF-14 dipole, SunCalc, NASA POWER

Where the towns sit

Invercargill, 50.2° geomagneticGore, 49.8° geomagneticMosgiel, 49.4° geomagneticDunedin, 49.3° geomagneticQueenstown, 48.8° geomagneticOamaru, 48.5° geomagneticWanaka, 48.4° geomagneticTimaru, 47.8° geomagneticAshburton, 47.2° geomagneticRolleston, 46.8° geomagneticHalswell, 46.8° geomagneticWigram, 46.8° geomagneticChristchurch, 46.7° geomagneticKaiapoi, 46.6° geomagneticRangiora, 46.5° geomagneticChristchurchDunedinInvercargillTimaruAshburtonWanakaGoreOamaru
60° geomagnetic or more, no storm needed55° to 60°, G1 or lessbelow 55°, storm needed

Of the 11 indexed towns in New Zealand, 11 sit below 55 degrees and need a G2 or stronger storm by NOAA's typical latitudes.

Darkness and cloud

On December 15 the median town gets 7.1 hours of civil night. Rolleston has the most at 7.3 hours and Invercargill the least at 6.8. Every town keeps some civil darkness through the June solstice.

NASA POWER's 2001 to 2020 climatology puts median cloud amount in the dark months at 66%. Wanaka is clearest at 65% and Gore cloudiest at 72%. These are all-hours averages for 1 degree cells, not forecasts.

Best month, town by town

Multiplying civil night by the clear share of the sky, July comes out best for 9 of the 11 towns and June for 2. SWPC notes a tendency toward larger storms near the equinoxes, which this score does not include.

Every town

15 towns in New Zealand, highest geomagnetic latitude first
TownRegionDipoleStorm neededDec 15 nightDark-month cloudBest month
InvercargillSouthland50.2°G2 or more6.8 h72%Jul
GoreSouthland49.8°G2 or more6.9 h72%Jul
Mosgiel *Otago49.4°G2 or more6.9 h71%Jul
DunedinOtago49.3°G2 or more6.9 h71%Jul
QueenstownOtago48.8°G2 or more7.0 h67%Jul
OamaruOtago48.5°G2 or more7.0 h71%Jul
WanakaOtago48.4°G2 or more7.1 h65%Jun
TimaruCanterbury47.8°G2 or more7.2 h66%Jul
AshburtonCanterbury47.2°G2 or more7.2 h65%Jun
RollestonCanterbury46.8°G2 or more7.3 h66%Jul
Halswell *Canterbury46.8°G2 or more7.3 h66%Jul
Wigram *Canterbury46.8°G2 or more7.3 h66%Jul
ChristchurchCanterbury46.7°G2 or more7.3 h66%Jul
Kaiapoi *Canterbury46.6°G2 or more7.3 h66%Jul
RangioraCanterbury46.5°G2 or more7.3 h66%Jul
* Within 15 km of a larger town with the same rounded figures; its page points to that town. Cloud: NASA POWER mean for months with at least 4 hours of civil night.

Regions

The towns fall in 3 first-level regions. Canterbury has 8, Otago has 5, Southland has 2. Regions with at least 5 indexed towns have their own page with three rankings.

Questions

Where in New Zealand is best for the aurora?
By geomagnetic latitude, Invercargill at 50.2°. No town sits at 60 degrees or more, so every town needs some activity.
Which town in New Zealand has the longest December night?
Rolleston, with 7.3 hours of civil night on December 15.
Which town in New Zealand has the clearest dark season?
Wanaka, with 65% mean cloud amount in the months with at least 4 hours of civil night (NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020).
What is the best month for aurora in New Zealand?
July for 9 of 11 towns, by civil night times the clear share of the sky. Each town page gives its own month.

Sources and verification

Quoted figures last checked against their sources on 2026-09-30; next review 2026-12-31. Computed figures come from SunCalc and the IGRF-14 dipole as described in the methodology. Every quote is listed in the sources ledger.