Alamogordo is a city of about 30,753 people in Otero County, New Mexico, at 1,323 m (4,341 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:12 AM and sets at 6:26 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:53 PM – 6:41 PM. Below are monthly times, sun directions, the best photo locations within 80 km and the nearest dark skies.
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour by month
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:07 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 13m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:22 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:15 PM | 11h 02m |
| March | 7:15 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:35 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 00m |
| May | 6:06 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 51m |
| June | 5:56 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 19m |
| July | 6:07 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 07m |
| August | 6:28 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 23m |
| September | 6:48 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 7:09 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:57 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:11 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:30 PM | 10h 28m |
| December | 7:00 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:27 PM | 10h 00m |
Local time in America/Denver, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Alamogordo
At Alamogordo the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
Best photo spots near Alamogordo
13 photo locations lie within 80 km of Alamogordo. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
State Parks
Fire Lookouts
National Wildlife Refuges
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Alamogordo is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is White Oaks, about 97 km (60 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from February to October, best in June.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Oaks | Ghost Town | 97 km (60 mi) | 1 |
| Carrizozo Malpais | Volcano | 97 km (60 mi) | 1 |
| Capitan Mountains Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 97 km (60 mi) | 1 |
| Paraje | Ghost Town | 125 km (78 mi) | 1 |
| Natural Bridge | Natural Arch | 137 km (85 mi) | 1 |
| Sitting Bull Falls | Waterfall | 139 km (86 mi) | 1 |
| Bush Mountain | Mountain Peak | 148 km (92 mi) | 1 |
| Bartlett Peak | Mountain Peak | 149 km (93 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:33 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.8 | 17° |
| March | 3:45 AM – 5:45 AM | 2.0 | 24° |
| April | 1:41 AM – 5:01 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| May | 11:42 PM – 4:22 AM | 4.7 | 28° |
| June | 9:57 PM – 4:07 AM | 6.2 | 28° |
| July | 9:53 PM – 2:43 AM | 4.8 | 28° |
| August | 9:21 PM – 12:41 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| September | 8:35 PM – 10:35 PM | 2.0 | 25° |
| October | 7:54 PM – 8:44 PM | 0.8 | 17° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 31% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (51%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.