Mount Deborah — a mountain peak in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska at about 3,718 m (12,198 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Badger, about 130 km (81 mi) away (Mount Deborah lies S of town).
Mount Deborah is a mountain in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is one of the major peaks of the eastern Alaska Range. Despite its low absolute elevation (compared to other major peaks in North America), it is a particularly large and steep peak in terms of its quick rise over local terrain. For example, the Northeast Face rises 7,000 feet (2,100 m) in approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km). This steepness, combined with difficult access, harsh weather, and classic Alaskan ice and snow features, make this a challenging peak to climb. Mount Deborah was named in 1907 by James Wickersham for his first wife, Deborah Susan (Bell) Wickersham.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Deborah”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Deborah the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 23° (NNE) at the June solstice and 150° (SSE) in late December. Sunset moves from 338° (NNW) in June to 210° (SSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 50° in summer but only 3° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:50 AM | 89° E | 8:04 PM | 272° W | 26° | 12h 14m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 3:29 AM | 23° NNE | 12:14 AM | 338° NNW | 50° | 20h 45m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:33 AM | 88° E | 7:52 PM | 272° W | 27° | 12h 19m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:36 AM | 150° SSE | 3:00 PM | 210° SSW | 3° | 4h 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
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 | 10:11 AM | — | — | 3:47 PM | 4:52 PM | 5h 36m |
| February | 7:52 AM | 8:43 AM | 9:59 AM | 4:09 PM | 5:25 PM | 6:16 PM | 8h 43m |
| March | 7:21 AM | 8:08 AM | 9:10 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:36 PM | 11h 42m |
| April | 5:25 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:15 PM | 9:20 PM | 10:14 PM | 15h 01m |
| May | 3:05 AM | 4:40 AM | 6:01 AM | 9:31 PM | 10:53 PM | 12:27 AM | 18h 13m |
| June | — | 3:31 AM | 5:19 AM | 10:22 PM | 12:10 AM | — | 20h 39m |
| July | — | 4:11 AM | 5:44 AM | 10:07 PM | 11:40 PM | — | 19h 28m |
| August | 4:42 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:54 AM | 8:55 PM | 10:04 PM | 11:07 PM | 16h 19m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:15 AM | 7:15 PM | 8:16 PM | 9:04 PM | 13h 03m |
| October | 7:51 AM | 8:39 AM | 9:47 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:32 PM | 7:20 PM | 9h 54m |
| November | 8:16 AM | 9:14 AM | 11:05 AM | 2:04 PM | 3:55 PM | 4:53 PM | 6h 40m |
| December | 9:16 AM | 10:31 AM | — | — | 3:00 PM | 4:14 PM | 4h 29m |
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 | — | -13° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -11° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -11° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -10° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -13° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -22° | — |
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 0.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show March as the clearest month (about 53% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (84%). 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 | 31 | 32 | 35 | 41 | 58 | 70 | 68 | 69 | 56 | 46 | 33 | 30 |
| Low °F | -40 | -36 | -39 | -17 | -1 | 19 | 31 | 23 | 1 | -17 | -31 | -33 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 3.0 | 5.7 | 6.6 | 5.5 | 4.3 | 2.8 | 2.2 | 1.7 |
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 mountain peak
- 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.
- Photograph the peak from a lake, meadow or ridge at sunrise when the face that looks east lights up first.
- Long lenses compress ridgelines; shoot the peak from several miles away to make it look massive.
- 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 Mount Deborah?
What time is golden hour at Mount Deborah?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Deborah?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Deborah?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Deborah?
How far is Mount Deborah from Badger?
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.