Obed — a ghost town in Navajo County, Arizona — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Joseph City, about 4.5 km (2.8 mi) away (Obed lies SSE of town).
Obed, Arizona was a town in Navajo County, Arizona located approximately three miles south of Joseph City, Arizona. It was settled in 1876 by a group of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints under the direction of George Lake. The settlers built a fort that was twelve rods square with walls that were ten feet high. It had bastions, with portholes for defense at two corners and additional portholes in the surrounding walls. The camp consisted of 123 members, which included John Bloomfield and his wife and nine children. Cottonwood was sawed for lumber. The community had a school house in January 1877 and a denominational school was started the next month, with Phoebe McNeal as teacher. Numerous problems plagued the settlement. The site was malarial, was selected against LDS Church instruction, and had trouble with brush and log dams washing away. The population...From the Wikipedia article “Obed, Arizona”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Obed 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 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:26 AM | 90° E | 6:33 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:09 AM | 60° ENE | 7:39 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 30m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:10 AM | 89° E | 6:20 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:26 AM | 119° ESE | 5:14 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 48m |
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 | 7:02 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 04m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:30 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 6:08 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:06 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:24 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:20 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 4:51 AM | 5:19 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:46 PM | 14h 00m |
| June | 4:38 AM | 5:08 AM | 5:45 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:07 PM | 14h 29m |
| July | 4:51 AM | 5:19 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:05 PM | 14h 17m |
| August | 5:16 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:38 PM | 13h 29m |
| September | 5:40 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:38 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:55 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:02 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:02 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:13 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:30 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:44 PM | 10h 21m |
| December | 6:54 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 49m |
Local time (America/Phoenix), 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
From Obed, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:59 AM – 5:39 AM | 0.7 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:13 AM – 5:03 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:13 AM – 4:13 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:17 PM – 3:37 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:24 PM – 3:14 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:19 PM – 1:49 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:44 PM – 11:44 PM | 3.0 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 7:55 PM – 9:45 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:11 PM – 7:51 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.79 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 22% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (55%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 67 | 70 | 80 | 87 | 97 | 102 | 102 | 99 | 97 | 87 | 78 | 69 |
| Low °F | -8 | 0 | 11 | 17 | 27 | 38 | 51 | 50 | 36 | 17 | 13 | -5 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.8 |
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
- 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.
- Respect private property and closures: many ghost towns are on private land or protected historic sites — never enter unstable buildings.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Obed?
What time is golden hour at Obed?
Where does the sun rise and set at Obed?
Can you see the Milky Way from Obed?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Obed?
How far is Obed from Joseph City?
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.