Stargazing in Wellington, Wellington Region, New Zealand

Dark-sky rating for Wellington

Wellington, Wellington Region, New Zealand is a small city (population about 215,000). A place this size typically has a rural to suburban transition: the Milky Way core can be glimpsed on clear, moonless nights. That is an estimate of Bortle class 4–5 from population, not a measurement: the real value depends on the exact spot you observe from.

For a measured reading at any point, open the live Dark Sky map.

Nearest dark-sky places and observatories

No certified dark-sky place or observatory in our registry lies within 150 km of Wellington. Our list only includes genuine, publicly documented sites, so none is shown rather than guessed.

Milky Way season in Wellington

The bright core of the Milky Way passes almost directly overhead. It climbs at least 20° above the horizon during astronomical darkness in February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, peaking in April at about 77°.

• The south celestial pole stands 41.3° above the horizon, so stars within 41° of it never set from here.
• About 83% of the whole sky rises above the horizon at some point in the year from this latitude.
• The Milky Way's core in Sagittarius culminates about 77.7° up, passing almost directly overhead.
• The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds are circumpolar here — visible on any clear, dark night of the year.
• At 31 m elevation, roughly 0% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.

Tonight and aurora

As of October 13, 2026 (UTC) the Moon is a Waxing Crescent at 11% illumination. Aurora at 41.3° latitude generally needs about Kp 8.6.

Nearby places

• Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand
• Hamilton, Waikato Region, New Zealand
• Tauranga, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand