South Valley is a city of about 40,976 people in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, at 1,501 m (4,925 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:17 AM and sets at 6:27 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:52 PM – 6:43 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 | 4:41 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 04m |
| 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 | 6:31 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 30m |
| July | 6:05 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 17m |
| August | 6:28 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 | 6:59 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:26 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.
Where the sun rises and sets in South Valley
At South Valley 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 32° in winter.
Best photo spots near South Valley
17 photo locations lie within 80 km of South Valley. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
State Parks
Botanical Gardens
Canyons
National Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeGhost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central South Valley is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Withington Wilderness, about 143 km (89 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 | 143 km (89 mi) | 1 |
| Carrizozo Malpais | Volcano | 151 km (94 mi) | 1 |
| El Morro National Monument | Dark Sky Place | 153 km (95 mi) | 1 |
| Woodpecker Arch | Natural Arch | 153 km (95 mi) | 1 |
| Fajada Butte | Rock Formation | 158 km (98 mi) | 1 |
| Fajada Gap | Mountain Pass | 158 km (98 mi) | 1 |
| White Oaks | Ghost Town | 165 km (102 mi) | 1 |
| Chaco Culture National Historical Park | Dark Sky Place | 165 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.