Northern lights in Nelson tonight

Lake Rotoiti in Nelson Lakes National Park sits at 614 m above sea level in a glacial valley in the Northern St Arnaud Range. The lake is inside a national park and has no street lighting - Bortle Class 2 conditions. The southern end of the lake faces south-southwest toward the St Arnaud township, which is small. The national park designation means strict lighting controls and minimal sky glow. At Kp 6, aurora australis may appear on the southern horizon from the lakeshore. The lake reflection gives foreground options on calm nights. St Arnaud village at the north end has basic accommodation. Drive south from Nelson via SH6 and SH63.

A small rural town at the confluence of the Buller, Maruia, and Matakitaki rivers in the Southern Alps foothills. The surrounding river valley farmland is dark in all directions. Bortle Class 2-3 conditions. Drive south of Murchison on SH6 toward the Buller Gorge for positions with a south-facing valley view. The gorge walls restrict some of the horizon at valley level, but the flat river terraces above the gorge give wider southern views. At Kp 6, aurora australis may appear above the southern mountain skyline. Murchison has a petrol station, accommodation, and basic services.

The Tasman Bay coast at Mapua and Ruby Bay faces north and northwest, which is the wrong direction for aurora australis in the southern hemisphere. However, the flat bay gives an open sky in all directions, and at Kp 6-7 aurora australis may appear in the southern part of the sky overhead or to the south toward the Richmond Hills. This is a moderate-quality position for strong storm events. For the best aurora position from Nelson, drive to Nelson Lakes (90 km) or Murchison (110 km) rather than the Tasman Bay coast. The coast is more useful for clear night stargazing and for events where Kp rises above 7.