Carlsbad is a city of about 28,957 people in Eddy County, New Mexico, at 945 m (3,100 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:05 AM and sets at 6:20 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:46 PM – 6:35 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 | 6:59 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:41 PM | 10h 15m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:14 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:08 PM | 11h 03m |
| March | 7:08 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:28 AM | 7:01 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 59m |
| May | 6:00 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 49m |
| June | 5:50 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 16m |
| July | 6:01 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 05m |
| August | 6:22 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 21m |
| September | 6:42 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:29 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 7:03 AM | 4:22 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:24 PM | 10h 30m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:21 PM | 10h 02m |
Local time in America/Denver, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Carlsbad
At Carlsbad 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 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
Best photo spots near Carlsbad
10 photo locations lie within 80 km of Carlsbad. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
State Parks
Botanical Gardens
Natural Arches
Canyons
National Wildlife Refuges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Carlsbad is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Sitting Bull Falls, about 48 km (30 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sitting Bull Falls | Waterfall | 48 km (30 mi) | 1 |
| Natural Bridge | Natural Arch | 50 km (31 mi) | 1 |
| McKittrick Canyon | Canyon | 70 km (43 mi) | 1 |
| Orla | Ghost Town | 73 km (45 mi) | 1 |
| Pratt Arch | Natural Arch | 74 km (46 mi) | 1 |
| Tejas Arch | Natural Arch | 81 km (50 mi) | 1 |
| Bush Mountain | Mountain Peak | 82 km (51 mi) | 1 |
| Bartlett Peak | Mountain Peak | 83 km (52 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:26 AM – 5:16 AM | 0.8 | 17° |
| March | 3:37 AM – 5:37 AM | 2.0 | 25° |
| April | 1:33 AM – 4:53 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| May | 11:33 PM – 4:23 AM | 4.8 | 29° |
| June | 9:48 PM – 4:08 AM | 6.3 | 29° |
| July | 9:44 PM – 2:34 AM | 4.8 | 29° |
| August | 9:12 PM – 12:32 AM | 3.3 | 29° |
| September | 8:27 PM – 10:37 PM | 2.2 | 25° |
| October | 7:47 PM – 8:37 PM | 0.8 | 18° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 33% average cloud cover) and August as the cloudiest (49%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.