Sonom Beach is a beach in Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sonom Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 48° (NE) at the June solstice and 130° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 313° (NW) in June to 230° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 61° in summer but only 14° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 9:30 AM | 89° E | 9:41 PM | 271° W | 37° | 12h 11m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 7:03 AM | 48° NE | 11:57 PM | 313° NW | 61° | 16h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 9:15 AM | 89° E | 9:28 PM | 272° W | 37° | 12h 13m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:39 AM | 130° SE | 6:15 PM | 230° SW | 14° | 7h 36m |
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 | 9:53 AM | 10:33 AM | 11:33 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:43 PM | 7:23 PM | 8h 10m |
| February | 9:09 AM | 9:45 AM | 10:35 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:16 PM | 9h 55m |
| March | 9:08 AM | 9:42 AM | 10:28 AM | 8:47 PM | 9:32 PM | 10:07 PM | 11h 50m |
| April | 7:52 AM | 8:29 AM | 9:16 AM | 9:41 PM | 10:27 PM | 11:04 PM | 13h 58m |
| May | 6:47 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:22 AM | 10:27 PM | 11:19 PM | 12:03 AM | 15h 48m |
| June | 6:12 AM | 7:03 AM | 8:00 AM | 10:58 PM | 11:55 PM | 12:46 AM | 16h 52m |
| July | 6:35 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:17 AM | 10:52 PM | 11:46 PM | 12:33 AM | 16h 24m |
| August | 7:32 AM | 8:11 AM | 8:59 AM | 10:07 PM | 10:55 PM | 11:34 PM | 14h 45m |
| September | 8:28 AM | 9:03 AM | 9:48 AM | 8:59 PM | 9:44 PM | 10:19 PM | 12h 42m |
| October | 9:20 AM | 9:55 AM | 10:42 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:08 PM | 10h 39m |
| November | 9:14 AM | 9:52 AM | 10:48 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:13 PM | 8h 43m |
| December | 9:53 AM | 10:35 AM | 11:40 AM | 5:08 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:55 PM | 7h 38m |
Local time (America/Adak), 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
At this latitude the summer nights are too short or too bright for the Milky Way core to stand high in true darkness; aim for star trails or the aurora.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| June | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| July | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| 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 7.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 83% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (95%). August is the warmest month and February 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 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 44 | 48 | 54 | 56 | 56 | 52 | 49 | 46 |
| Low °F | 23 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 33 | 36 | 40 | 44 | 42 | 36 | 28 | 26 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.6 |
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.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is MASSACRE BAY, 7.7 km (4.8 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Sonom Beach, closest first.
Mountain Pass
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When is the best time to photograph Sonom Beach?
What time is golden hour at Sonom Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sonom Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sonom Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sonom Beach?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.