Looking for the Aurora Australis in Southland? Use our real-time Invercargill tracker below to monitor the Kp-index and see if the Southern Lights are dancing over Stewart Island right now.
🌌 Invercargill Aurora Live Tracker
Real-time Northern Lights Forecast for Southland & Stewart Island
Quiet Activity
Southern Lights are best visible from Tasmania, Stewart Island, and Southern NZ.
Southern Visibility Guide
✨ Data updates frequently. Refresh for the latest solar activity.
Current Aurora Oval (Southern Hemisphere)
Data provided by NOAA / Space Weather Prediction Center
Switch to Other Southern Viewpoints
Invercargill: The Gateway to the Southern Aurora
As the southernmost city in New Zealand, Invercargill is arguably the premier “base camp” for serious aurora hunters. Its unique position at 46° South means the Aurora Australis appears higher in the sky and with significantly more detail than in cities further north. If you are in Southland during a solar storm, you are in the best possible place in the country.
Kp-Index & Stewart Island Visibility In Invercargill, the “threshold” for seeing the lights is lower than elsewhere. While a Kp 3 or 4 can provide a stunning photographic display, a Kp 7 or 8 storm (like the one we are seeing today) can result in the aurora being visible directly overhead. Just a short ferry ride away lies Stewart Island (Rakiura), a certified International Dark Sky Sanctuary, where the lack of light pollution makes the Southern Lights appear incredibly vivid.
Best Aurora Viewing Spots in Southland To get the most out of this live tracker, head to these locations for an unobstructed view of the southern horizon:
- Omaui: A coastal lookout just a short drive from Invercargill, offering a vast, dark horizon over the Foveaux Strait.
- Tiwai Point: Known for its isolation and minimal light interference, providing a perfect stage for the aurora.
- Oreti Beach: The wide, flat sands of Oreti Beach offer a 180-degree view of the southern sky, ideal for capturing the scale of a geomagnetic storm.
Why Monitor Our Live Data? Geomagnetic activity in the southern hemisphere can be highly localized. Our live Southern Hemisphere map uses real-time satellite data to show the exact position of the Aurora Oval. For residents and visitors in Invercargill, this means you can time your drive to the coast exactly when the Kp-index spikes, ensuring you don’t miss the peak of the storm.
Not in Invarcargill? Go back to our Southern Light Live Tracker!