Located in Bethel Census Area, Alaska, Nunathloogagamiutbingoi Dunes is a beach.
Nunathloogagamiutbingoi Dunes is the name of a beach on the southeastern coast of Nunivak Island in Bethel Census Area, Alaska. Summer temperatures in the area are frequently 50 to 59 °F (10 to 15 °C), and the night is commonly 40 to 49 °F (4 to 9 °C). The wintertime brings highs down to 10 to 19 °F (−12 to −7 °C) and overnight lows of −19 to −10 °F (−28 to −23 °C). There is little precipitation; the month of August is the wettest, while March is frequently the driest month. Nunathloogagamiutbingoi has been noted for its long place name. Nunathloogagamiutbingoi Dunes was declared "most difficult to pronounce" in the state of Alaska by Reader's Digest.From the Wikipedia article “Nunathloogagamiutbingoi Dunes”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Nunathloogagamiutbingoi Dunes the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 35° (NE) at the June solstice and 140° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 325° (NW) in June to 220° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 54° in summer but only 7° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 9:06 AM | 89° E | 9:19 PM | 272° W | 30° | 12h 13m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 35° NE | 12:31 AM | 325° NW | 54° | 18h 49m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:50 AM | 88° E | 9:06 PM | 272° W | 30° | 12h 16m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 11:06 AM | 140° SE | 5:01 PM | 220° SW | 7° | 5h 55m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Beaches facing east suit sunrise and west-facing beaches suit sunset; wet sand mirrors the sky color during golden hour.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9:59 AM | 10:51 AM | 12:24 PM | 4:05 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:30 PM | 6h 46m |
| February | 8:59 AM | 9:42 AM | 10:46 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:40 PM | 9h 14m |
| March | 8:40 AM | 9:21 AM | 10:16 AM | 8:12 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:48 PM | 11h 46m |
| April | 7:02 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:44 AM | 9:25 PM | 10:22 PM | 11:08 PM | 14h 34m |
| May | 5:25 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:34 AM | 10:28 PM | 11:35 PM | 12:38 AM | 17h 07m |
| June | 4:03 AM | 5:43 AM | 7:01 AM | 11:10 PM | 12:28 AM | 2:08 AM | 18h 46m |
| July | 4:54 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:23 AM | 10:59 PM | 12:11 AM | 1:28 AM | 18h 01m |
| August | 6:30 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:20 AM | 9:59 PM | 10:59 PM | 11:49 PM | 15h 38m |
| September | 7:51 AM | 8:34 AM | 9:28 AM | 8:33 PM | 9:27 PM | 10:09 PM | 12h 54m |
| October | 9:02 AM | 9:44 AM | 10:43 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:39 PM | 10h 13m |
| November | 9:14 AM | 10:03 AM | 11:21 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:26 PM | 7h 34m |
| December | 10:04 AM | 11:01 AM | 1:02 PM | 2:59 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:57 PM | 5h 59m |
Local time (America/Nome), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
The Milky Way's bright core (in Sagittarius) barely clears the southern horizon at this latitude, so focus on winter Milky Way, aurora or star trails instead.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -11° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -11° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -21° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.95 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 2.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show January as the clearest month (about 79% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (89%). August is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 39 | 38 | 37 | 43 | 50 | 56 | 60 | 60 | 59 | 53 | 45 | 41 |
| Low °F | -12 | -12 | -6 | 0 | 16 | 29 | 38 | 42 | 38 | 23 | 6 | -7 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.4 | 2.8 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.1 | 2.8 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this beach
- Salt spray coats lenses quickly; wipe often and rinse gear afterward.
- Fog and marine layers can make minimalist images; don't give up on grey days.
- Time visits around low tide to reveal tide pools, sea stacks and reflective sand — check the tide widget below.
- Slow shutter speeds (0.5–2 s) turn receding waves into streaks that lead toward the horizon.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Winter storms bring dramatic surf on Pacific coasts; summer and autumn sunsets are popular on Atlantic and Gulf beaches.
Suggested gear: Tripod, ND filters, Rain cover, Lens cloths. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Nunathloogagamiutbingoi Dunes?
What time is golden hour at Nunathloogagamiutbingoi Dunes?
Where does the sun rise and set at Nunathloogagamiutbingoi Dunes?
Can you see the Milky Way from Nunathloogagamiutbingoi Dunes?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Nunathloogagamiutbingoi Dunes?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.