Aurora Australis in Invercargill

New Zealand · -46.40°, 168.35° · geomagnetic -50.2° · needs Kp 9

Tonight's aurora forecast for Invercargill

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Peak chance of a visible display tonight, from the same model the Revon app runs. Invercargill needs Kp 9 to see anything at all, and tonight the forecast peaks at Kp 4.7. Short of the threshold, which is what most nights look like here.

Tonight Tue 08 Sep
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Get the full 30-night forecast in Revon

Updated 2026-09-08 10:35 UTC

Local aurora guide for Invercargill

Aurora activity is measured by the Kp index. A Kp of 9 is required for aurora to be visible from Invercargill.

The geomagnetic latitude of Invercargill is -50.2 degrees. This means that aurora are rarely visible here.

On average, there are 0.1 viable nights per year for aurora viewing in Invercargill.

The best month for aurora viewing in Invercargill is May.

This is when the nights are longest and darkest, increasing your chances of seeing the aurora.

Invercargill has a Bortle scale rating of 6, indicating moderate light pollution.

Areas with darker skies, such as near Waihopai Toetoe Community, are rated Bortle 2.

Potential viewing locations include Oreti River, Lookout, Hatch’s Hill Lookout, Oreti Beach, and Forest Hill lookout. Coastal areas like Bushy Point, Seaward Reserve, Fosbender Park, Daffodil Bay, and Whalers Bay offer open horizons.

Consider viewpoints such as Oreti River, Lookout, Hatch’s Hill Lookout, Oreti Beach, and Forest Hill lookout for potential aurora viewing.

Nature reserves like Thomsons Bush and Omaui Reserve may also offer viewing opportunities.

Coastal features including Bushy Point, Seaward Reserve, Fosbender Park, Daffodil Bay, and Whalers Bay provide open horizons.

There have been 10 verified aurora reports within 300 km of Invercargill between January 2015 and December 2016.

The period of record for aurora data in this region spans from April 2016 to March 2026.

A qualifying night for aurora viewing occurred on May 10, 2024, with a Kp index of 9.0.

Sources: Revon location dataset · Revon analysis of NOAA planetary Kp · Falchi 2016 World Atlas of artificial night sky brightness · OpenStreetMap contributors · GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) · Aurorasaurus verified positive reports

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Nearby towns

Forecasts for places within reach of Invercargill.