Afognak is a ghost town in Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska. The nearest town is Kodiak Station, about 29 km (18 mi) away (Afognak lies NNW of town).
Afognak (; also Agw'aneq in Alutiiq was an Alutiiq village on the island of Afognak in Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska, United States. It was located on Afognak Bay on the southwest coast of the island, three miles north of Kodiak Island. The site is now within the CDP of Aleneva.From the Wikipedia article “Afognak, Alaska”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Afognak the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 39° (NE) at the June solstice and 137° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 321° (NW) in June to 224° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 55° in summer but only 9° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:13 AM | 89° E | 8:25 PM | 271° W | 32° | 12h 12m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:08 AM | 39° NE | 11:19 PM | 321° NW | 55° | 18h 11m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:57 AM | 88° E | 8:12 PM | 272° W | 32° | 12h 15m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 9:57 AM | 137° SE | 4:24 PM | 224° SW | 9° | 6h 27m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Weathered wood and rusted metal show texture best in low-angle light; overcast skies suit interiors and moody black-and-white work.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8:57 AM | 9:45 AM | 11:05 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:45 PM | 7h 12m |
| February | 8:02 AM | 8:43 AM | 9:42 AM | 5:10 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:50 PM | 9h 26m |
| March | 7:48 AM | 8:28 AM | 9:20 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:53 PM | 11h 47m |
| April | 6:17 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:30 PM | 9:23 PM | 10:06 PM | 14h 23m |
| May | 4:51 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:49 AM | 9:28 PM | 10:30 PM | 11:25 PM | 16h 43m |
| June | 3:53 AM | 5:08 AM | 6:19 AM | 10:06 PM | 11:17 PM | 12:32 AM | 18h 08m |
| July | 4:28 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:39 AM | 9:56 PM | 11:03 PM | 12:07 AM | 17h 30m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:32 AM | 9:01 PM | 9:57 PM | 10:44 PM | 15h 22m |
| September | 7:02 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:34 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:12 PM | 12h 50m |
| October | 8:07 AM | 8:47 AM | 9:42 AM | 6:13 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:48 PM | 10h 21m |
| November | 8:13 AM | 8:59 AM | 10:09 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:40 PM | 7h 56m |
| December | 9:00 AM | 9:52 AM | 11:26 AM | 2:49 PM | 4:22 PM | 5:14 PM | 6h 30m |
Local time (America/Anchorage), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
The Milky Way's bright core (in Sagittarius) barely clears the southern horizon at this latitude, so focus on winter Milky Way, aurora or star trails instead.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -10° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -10° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -21° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.94 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 2.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 74% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (82%). August is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 45 | 44 | 45 | 53 | 65 | 71 | 71 | 69 | 67 | 53 | 50 | 46 |
| Low °F | -2 | 6 | 3 | 17 | 28 | 41 | 46 | 46 | 36 | 22 | 1 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.4 | 5.0 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 5.7 | 5.6 | 5.5 | 6.1 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this ghost town
- Look for details: door hinges, faded signs, square nails and window frames tell the story.
- Leave everything as you found it; removing artifacts from public land is illegal.
- Respect private property and closures: many ghost towns are on private land or protected historic sites — never enter unstable buildings.
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: High-elevation mining towns are reachable mostly from June to October; desert ghost towns are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Wide-angle lens, Tripod, Headlamp, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Private property: Many ghost towns sit on private land or protected historic sites. Respect signs, never enter unstable buildings and leave artifacts in place.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Afognak, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Afognak?
What time is golden hour at Afognak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Afognak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Afognak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Afognak?
How far is Afognak from Kodiak Station?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.