Roswell is a city of about 48,544 people in Chaves County, New Mexico, at 1,090 m (3,576 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:07 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 | 7:03 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:41 PM | 10h 11m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:17 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:09 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 7:09 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:28 AM | 7:02 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:54 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:59 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 53m |
| June | 5:49 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 21m |
| July | 6:00 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 09m |
| August | 6:21 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 24m |
| September | 6:42 AM | 7:15 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:31 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:51 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 4:21 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:23 PM | 10h 27m |
| December | 6:55 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 57m |
Local time in America/Denver, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Roswell
At Roswell 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 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
Best photo spots near Roswell
5 photo locations lie within 80 km of Roswell. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
National Wildlife Refuges
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Roswell is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Capitan Mountains Wilderness, about 78 km (49 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capitan Mountains Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 78 km (49 mi) | 1 |
| Natural Bridge | Natural Arch | 89 km (55 mi) | 1 |
| White Oaks | Ghost Town | 119 km (74 mi) | 1 |
| Natural Bridge | Natural Arch | 128 km (80 mi) | 1 |
| Sitting Bull Falls | Waterfall | 129 km (80 mi) | 1 |
| Tolar | Ghost Town | 130 km (81 mi) | 1 |
| Carrizozo Malpais | Volcano | 143 km (89 mi) | 1 |
| McKittrick Canyon | Canyon | 159 km (99 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:37 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.7 | 17° |
| March | 3:39 AM – 5:39 AM | 2.0 | 24° |
| April | 1:36 AM – 4:56 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| May | 11:48 PM – 4:18 AM | 4.5 | 28° |
| June | 9:53 PM – 4:03 AM | 6.2 | 28° |
| July | 9:49 PM – 2:39 AM | 4.8 | 28° |
| August | 9:16 PM – 12:36 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| September | 8:30 PM – 10:30 PM | 2.0 | 24° |
| October | 7:48 PM – 8:28 PM | 0.7 | 17° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 34% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (48%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.