Plan this sky
Save the place, open the map, or continue into a stay once the route is worth it.
- Best use
- Milky Way, meteor showers, and deep-sky viewing
- Planning signal
- Dark-window target
- Route context
- 4 Stella stays within 350 km
Dark-sky reserve & sanctuary
Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve
New Zealand · Truly dark skies · certified January 20, 2015
About this place
- Overview
- World-class Southern Hemisphere site beneath Mount Cook
- Horizon
- Southern Alps to the west; open skies to the east and south
- Region
- New Zealand
- Nearest city
- ~120 km of light pollution
Designation & sky
- Type
- Dark-Sky Reserve
- Designation
- International Dark Sky Reserve
- Certified
- January 20, 2015
- Sky quality
- Bortle 2.0 (measured) · Truly dark
- Measured brightness
- 21.7 mag/arcsec² · Aoraki Mackenzie IDSR application Table 7-1: Mt John primary core average 21.67 mag/arcsec^2, rounded to 0.1
- Status
- Certified
Official links
Verify hours, access, and current conditions before you go.
Dark-sky stays near here
Book a night under these skies — the closest astronomy-forward stays in the Stella catalog.
- 1 km · Observatory AdjacentLake Tekapo LodgesView stay →
- 25 km · Observatory StayMt Cook Lakeside Retreat / Pukaki ObservatoryView stay →
- 27 km · Telescope ProgramLakestone LodgeView stay →
- 39 km · Dark-Sky LodgeTe Manahuna RetreatView stay →
Next steps
Build the trip around this sky.
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Dark-sky mapFind protected places
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Open routeEclipse travelCompare eclipse pathsUse the 2024-2035 catalog to pair path timing with nearby dark-sky stays.
Open routeStargazing staysSleep near the skyExplore observatory hotels, aurora lodges, astrofarms, and dark-sky resorts.
Open routeTonight guideKnow what to look forStart with the practical guide, then use Stella for the exact window where you are.
Open routeStargazing near nearby cities
Use city guides to compare drive time, nearby stays, and darker alternatives around this place.
- 182 km · ~3 hr 9 min drive*Stargazing near ChristchurchOpen city guide →
- 183 km · ~3 hr 11 min drive*Stargazing near QueenstownOpen city guide →
- 209 km · ~3 hr 37 min drive*Stargazing near DunedinOpen city guide →
- 381 km · ~6 hr 36 min drive*Stargazing near NelsonOpen city guide →
On the map
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