Albuquerque is a city of about 564,559 people in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, at 1,511 m (4,957 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:17 AM and sets at 6:27 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:52 PM – 6:42 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 | 7:15 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 03m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:35 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 6:04 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 00m |
| June | 5:53 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 30m |
| July | 6:04 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 18m |
| August | 6:27 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 29m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:13 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:33 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:29 PM | 10h 20m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 49m |
Local time in America/Denver, daylight saving time included. Open a month for a day-by-day table with moon phases.
Where the sun rises and sets in Albuquerque
At Albuquerque the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
Best photo spots near Albuquerque
21 photo locations lie within 80 km of Albuquerque. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
State Parks
Botanical Gardens
Natural Arches
Canyons
Hot Springs
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Albuquerque is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Withington Wilderness, about 151 km (94 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Withington Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 151 km (94 mi) | 1 |
| Fajada Butte | Rock Formation | 154 km (96 mi) | 1 |
| Fajada Gap | Mountain Pass | 154 km (96 mi) | 1 |
| El Morro National Monument | Dark Sky Place | 155 km (96 mi) | 1 |
| Woodpecker Arch | Natural Arch | 155 km (97 mi) | 1 |
| Carrizozo Malpais | Volcano | 158 km (98 mi) | 1 |
| Chaco Culture National Historical Park | Dark Sky Place | 161 km (100 mi) | 1 |
| Ah-shi-sle-pah Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 166 km (103 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:45 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.7 | 15° |
| March | 3:59 AM – 5:49 AM | 1.8 | 23° |
| April | 1:59 AM – 4:59 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| May | 12:03 AM – 4:23 AM | 4.3 | 26° |
| June | 10:10 PM – 4:00 AM | 5.8 | 26° |
| July | 10:05 PM – 2:35 AM | 4.5 | 26° |
| August | 9:30 PM – 12:30 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| September | 8:41 PM – 10:31 PM | 1.8 | 23° |
| October | 7:58 PM – 8:38 PM | 0.7 | 16° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 32% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (52%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.