Augustine Volcano is a mountain peak in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska. The nearest town is Homer, about 111 km (69 mi) away (Augustine Volcano lies WSW of town).
Augustine Volcano (Sugpiaq: Utakineq; Dena'ina: Chu Nula) is a stratovolcano in Alaska consisting of a central complex of summit lava domes and flows surrounded by an apron of pyroclastic, lahar, avalanche, and ash deposits. The volcano forms Augustine Island, colloquially called Mount St. Augustine, in southwestern Cook Inlet in the Kenai Peninsula Borough of southcentral coastal Alaska, about 70 miles (113 km) west of Homer and about 175 miles (282 km) southwest of Anchorage. The volcano is frequently active, with major eruptions recorded in 1883, 1935, 1963–64, 1976, 1986, and 2006. Minor eruptive events were reported in 1812, 1885, 1908, 1944, and 1971. The large eruptions are characterized by an explosive onset followed by the quieter effusion of lava. Augustine Island has a land area of 32.4 square miles (83.9 km2), while West Island, just off Augustine's western shores, has 2...From the Wikipedia article “Augustine Volcano”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Augustine Volcano the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 37° (NE) at the June solstice and 139° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 324° (NW) in June to 221° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 54° in summer but only 7° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:16 AM | 89° E | 8:28 PM | 272° W | 31° | 12h 12m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:57 AM | 37° NE | 11:35 PM | 324° NW | 54° | 18h 38m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:59 AM | 88° E | 8:15 PM | 272° W | 31° | 12h 16m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:11 AM | 139° SE | 4:15 PM | 221° SW | 7° | 6h 04m |
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
Summits catch first and last light — alpenglow can turn rock pink or orange minutes before sunrise and after sunset while valleys stay in shadow.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9:06 AM | 9:57 AM | 11:26 AM | 3:22 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:42 PM | 6h 54m |
| February | 8:07 AM | 8:50 AM | 9:53 AM | 5:05 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:50 PM | 9h 17m |
| March | 7:50 AM | 8:31 AM | 9:25 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:57 PM | 11h 46m |
| April | 6:14 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:34 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:15 PM | 14h 31m |
| May | 4:40 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:46 AM | 9:36 PM | 10:41 PM | 11:42 PM | 17h 00m |
| June | 3:27 AM | 4:58 AM | 6:14 AM | 10:16 PM | 11:33 PM | 1:03 AM | 18h 35m |
| July | 4:11 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:35 AM | 10:06 PM | 11:16 PM | 12:29 AM | 17h 52m |
| August | 5:43 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:31 AM | 9:07 PM | 10:06 PM | 10:56 PM | 15h 34m |
| September | 7:02 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:37 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:18 PM | 12h 53m |
| October | 8:11 AM | 8:53 AM | 9:50 AM | 6:10 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:49 PM | 10h 15m |
| November | 8:21 AM | 9:09 AM | 10:25 AM | 3:33 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:37 PM | 7h 41m |
| December | 9:11 AM | 10:06 AM | 11:57 AM | 2:23 PM | 4:14 PM | 5:09 PM | 6h 08m |
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 | — | -11° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -11° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.95 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 1.5+ 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 72% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (83%). 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 | 42 | 42 | 44 | 56 | 70 | 77 | 80 | 74 | 65 | 54 | 49 | 44 |
| Low °F | -21 | -14 | -8 | 5 | 21 | 40 | 44 | 40 | 33 | 10 | -17 | -14 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.4 | 5.3 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 4.4 | 5.1 | 7.2 | 6.6 | 6.1 | 6.6 |
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 mountain peak
- Long lenses compress ridgelines; shoot the peak from several miles away to make it look massive.
- Afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer at high elevations — plan summit hikes for early morning.
- Snow on the summit holds detail best when you expose for the highlights and lift shadows later.
- Alpenglow lasts only a few minutes; set up and focus beforehand.
- Clouds around the summit add drama — a clear blue sky is often the least interesting condition.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Early summer keeps snow on the peaks with green valleys below; autumn adds aspen or larch color in many ranges.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Lightweight tripod, Warm layers, Microspikes in shoulder seasons. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Augustine Volcano?
What time is golden hour at Augustine Volcano?
Where does the sun rise and set at Augustine Volcano?
Can you see the Milky Way from Augustine Volcano?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Augustine Volcano?
How far is Augustine Volcano from Homer?
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.