Paraje is a ghost town in Socorro County, New Mexico at about 1,360 m (4,462 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 47 km (29 mi) NNE of Elephant Butte.
Paraje was a populated place along the east bank of the Rio Grande, in Socorro County, New Mexico, United States, now a ghost town. It is located north northeast of the Fra Cristobal Range.From the Wikipedia article “Paraje, Socorro County, New Mexico”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Paraje the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:13 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:59 AM | 61° ENE | 8:22 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 23m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:09 AM | 118° ESE | 5:05 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 55m |
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 | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 10m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:28 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:19 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:13 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:41 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 54m |
| June | 5:30 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 22m |
| July | 5:41 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 10m |
| August | 6:05 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 25m |
| September | 6:28 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:48 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:01 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:17 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 26m |
| December | 6:39 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 56m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Paraje, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:47 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.7 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:49 AM – 5:49 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:46 AM – 5:06 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:48 PM – 4:28 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:03 PM – 4:13 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:59 PM – 2:49 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:26 PM – 12:46 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:40 PM – 10:40 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:58 PM – 8:38 PM | 0.7 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 21.89 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 29% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (57%). July 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 | 70 | 76 | 80 | 88 | 96 | 101 | 101 | 97 | 95 | 87 | 77 | 71 |
| Low °F | 2 | -3 | 17 | 24 | 28 | 42 | 53 | 51 | 35 | 18 | 17 | 9 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
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.
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Paraje, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Paraje?
What time is golden hour at Paraje?
Where does the sun rise and set at Paraje?
Can you see the Milky Way from Paraje?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Paraje?
How far is Paraje from Elephant Butte?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.