Socorro is a city of about 33,222 people in El Paso County, Texas, at 1,116 m (3,661 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:13 AM and sets at 6:29 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:56 PM – 6:44 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 | 7:06 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 19m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:21 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:17 PM | 11h 05m |
| March | 7:16 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:38 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:37 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:34 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 57m |
| May | 6:09 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 46m |
| June | 6:00 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 12m |
| July | 6:11 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 01m |
| August | 6:31 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 19m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 7:09 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:34 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 25m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:09 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 33m |
| December | 6:58 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:31 PM | 10h 06m |
Local time in America/Denver, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Socorro
At Socorro the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 82° in summer but only 35° in winter.
Best photo spots near Socorro
7 photo locations lie within 80 km of Socorro. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
Botanical Gardens
Mountain Peaks
Ghost Towns
Rock Formations
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Socorro is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Salt Flat, about 115 km (71 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salt Flat | Ghost Town | 115 km (71 mi) | 1 |
| Indian Hot Springs | Hot Spring | 131 km (81 mi) | 1 |
| Bartlett Peak | Mountain Peak | 138 km (85 mi) | 1 |
| Bush Mountain | Mountain Peak | 138 km (86 mi) | 1 |
| El Capitan | Mountain Peak | 139 km (86 mi) | 1 |
| Guadalupe Peak | Mountain Peak | 139 km (86 mi) | 1 |
| Tejas Arch | Natural Arch | 141 km (88 mi) | 1 |
| Guadalupe Pass (Texas) | Mountain Pass | 142 km (88 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:34 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.8 | 18° |
| March | 3:45 AM – 5:45 AM | 2.0 | 26° |
| April | 1:39 AM – 5:09 AM | 3.5 | 29° |
| May | 11:39 PM – 4:29 AM | 4.8 | 29° |
| June | 9:52 PM – 4:12 AM | 6.3 | 29° |
| July | 9:49 PM – 2:49 AM | 5.0 | 29° |
| August | 9:18 PM – 12:48 AM | 3.5 | 29° |
| September | 8:34 PM – 10:44 PM | 2.2 | 26° |
| October | 7:55 PM – 8:45 PM | 0.8 | 18° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 31% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (50%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.