Hobbs is a city of about 38,416 people in Lea County, New Mexico, at 1,104 m (3,622 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:01 AM and sets at 6:15 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:42 PM – 6:30 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 | 6:56 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:36 PM | 10h 14m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:11 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:04 PM | 11h 02m |
| March | 7:04 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:24 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 59m |
| May | 5:55 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 50m |
| June | 5:45 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 17m |
| July | 5:56 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 06m |
| August | 6:17 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 22m |
| September | 6:37 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:19 PM | 10h 29m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 01m |
Local time in America/Denver, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Hobbs
At Hobbs 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 Hobbs
1 photo locations lie within 80 km of Hobbs. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Hobbs is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Orla, about 122 km (76 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orla | Ghost Town | 122 km (76 mi) | 1 |
| Sitting Bull Falls | Waterfall | 155 km (96 mi) | 1 |
| Natural Bridge | Natural Arch | 157 km (97 mi) | 1 |
| McKittrick Canyon | Canyon | 172 km (107 mi) | 1 |
| Pratt Arch | Natural Arch | 176 km (110 mi) | 1 |
| Tejas Arch | Natural Arch | 183 km (114 mi) | 1 |
| Guadalupe Pass (Texas) | Mountain Pass | 184 km (114 mi) | 1 |
| Bush Mountain | Mountain Peak | 185 km (115 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:22 AM – 5:12 AM | 0.8 | 17° |
| March | 3:33 AM – 5:33 AM | 2.0 | 25° |
| April | 1:29 AM – 4:49 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| May | 11:30 PM – 4:10 AM | 4.7 | 28° |
| June | 9:45 PM – 3:55 AM | 6.2 | 28° |
| July | 9:41 PM – 2:31 AM | 4.8 | 28° |
| August | 9:09 PM – 12:29 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| September | 8:24 PM – 10:34 PM | 2.2 | 25° |
| October | 7:43 PM – 8:33 PM | 0.8 | 17° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 32% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (45%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.