Biorka — a ghost town in Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Unalaska, about 22 km (14 mi) away (Biorka lies ESE of town).
Biorka was an Aleut settlement located on Sedanka Island, off the coast of Unalaska Island. with the name Biorka first appearing in the early 19th Century. Following the Japanese occupation of Attu and Kiska and the bombing of Dutch Harbor as part of the Aleutian Islands campaign during the Second World War, the US Government decided to evacuate the village of Biorka along with several other villages on the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands, and the villagers were relocated to camps in Southeastern Alaska. The villagers of Biorka were sent to the Ward Lake CCC camp along with the villagers of Akutan, Kashega, Makushin and Nikolski where they suffered considerable hardship and 18% of the villagers at the camp perished during the war. To alleviate the overcrowding, the villagers of Biorka, Kashega and Makushin were moved to the facility at Burnett Inlet in 1944.From the Wikipedia article “Biorka, Alaska”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Biorka the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 46° (NE) at the June solstice and 131° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 314° (NW) in June to 229° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 60° in summer but only 13° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:08 AM | 89° E | 8:18 PM | 271° W | 36° | 12h 11m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 46° NE | 10:41 PM | 314° NW | 60° | 17h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:52 AM | 89° E | 8:05 PM | 272° W | 36° | 12h 13m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 9:22 AM | 131° SE | 4:46 PM | 229° SW | 13° | 7h 24m |
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 | 8:34 AM | 9:15 AM | 10:18 AM | 4:12 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:56 PM | 8h 00m |
| February | 7:48 AM | 8:25 AM | 9:16 AM | 5:23 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:52 PM | 9h 50m |
| March | 7:45 AM | 8:20 AM | 9:07 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:44 PM | 11h 49m |
| April | 6:27 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:06 PM | 9:44 PM | 14h 02m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:57 AM | 9:08 PM | 10:01 PM | 10:46 PM | 15h 58m |
| June | 4:40 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:33 AM | 9:40 PM | 10:38 PM | 11:32 PM | 17h 04m |
| July | 5:04 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:50 AM | 9:33 PM | 10:29 PM | 11:18 PM | 16h 35m |
| August | 6:04 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:46 PM | 9:36 PM | 10:16 PM | 14h 51m |
| September | 7:04 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:26 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:58 PM | 12h 43m |
| October | 7:58 AM | 8:33 AM | 9:22 AM | 6:20 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:45 PM | 10h 36m |
| November | 7:54 AM | 8:33 AM | 9:31 AM | 4:09 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:47 PM | 8h 35m |
| December | 8:34 AM | 9:18 AM | 10:26 AM | 3:35 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:28 PM | 7h 27m |
Local time (America/Adak), 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
At this latitude the summer nights are too short or too bright for the Milky Way core to stand high in true darkness; aim for star trails or the aurora.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| June | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| July | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.91 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 84% average cloud cover) and April as the cloudiest (90%). August is the warmest month and March 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 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 44 | 51 | 52 | 59 | 60 | 57 | 53 | 50 | 45 |
| Low °F | 19 | 19 | 19 | 26 | 30 | 38 | 42 | 45 | 41 | 35 | 30 | 25 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.7 | 4.8 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 5.3 | 4.4 | 6.5 |
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
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- Old buildings under the Milky Way make strong night images in dark rural skies.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Biorka, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Biorka?
What time is golden hour at Biorka?
Where does the sun rise and set at Biorka?
Can you see the Milky Way from Biorka?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Biorka?
How far is Biorka from Unalaska?
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.