Mount Moffett is a mountain peak in Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska at about 1,050 m (3,445 ft) above sea level.
Mount Moffett is a mountainous stratovolcano that forms the summit of Adak Island of the Aleutian Islands in the U.S. state of Alaska. Its peak reaches 3,924 feet (1,196 m). It is heavily glaciated and is made primarily of high alumina basalt and andesite. It has never had an eruption in recorded history. The southern flank of the mountain is assumed to be its youngest side. In comparison to other Aleutian stratovolcanoes, Moffett is a small vent, characteristic of its mixed composition. It was named by the U.S. Navy in 1936 for Rear Admiral William Adger Moffett. It has occasionally been skied with there once being a ski-lift on the lower portion.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Moffett”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Moffett the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 49° (NE) at the June solstice and 129° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 312° (NW) in June to 231° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 62° in summer but only 15° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:50 AM | 89° E | 9:00 PM | 271° W | 38° | 12h 11m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:28 AM | 49° NE | 11:11 PM | 312° NW | 62° | 16h 43m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:34 AM | 89° E | 8:47 PM | 272° W | 38° | 12h 13m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 9:53 AM | 129° SE | 5:39 PM | 231° SW | 15° | 7h 45m |
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 | 9:09 AM | 9:48 AM | 10:46 AM | 5:08 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:45 PM | 8h 18m |
| February | 8:27 AM | 9:02 AM | 9:51 AM | 6:13 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:37 PM | 9h 59m |
| March | 8:28 AM | 9:02 AM | 9:46 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:25 PM | 11h 50m |
| April | 7:15 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:36 AM | 8:59 PM | 9:45 PM | 10:20 PM | 13h 54m |
| May | 6:12 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:44 AM | 9:44 PM | 10:35 PM | 11:17 PM | 15h 41m |
| June | 5:39 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:22 AM | 10:14 PM | 11:09 PM | 11:58 PM | 16h 41m |
| July | 6:01 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:39 AM | 10:08 PM | 11:01 PM | 11:46 PM | 16h 15m |
| August | 6:55 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:20 AM | 9:25 PM | 10:12 PM | 10:50 PM | 14h 40m |
| September | 7:49 AM | 8:23 AM | 9:07 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:37 PM | 12h 41m |
| October | 8:38 AM | 9:12 AM | 9:59 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:28 PM | 10h 42m |
| November | 8:30 AM | 9:08 AM | 10:02 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:35 PM | 8h 49m |
| December | 9:09 AM | 9:49 AM | 10:52 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:17 PM | 7h 47m |
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 | — | 2° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| June | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| July | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| 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 7.0+ 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 79% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (95%). August 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 | 45 | 45 | 43 | 45 | 46 | 50 | 54 | 57 | 56 | 54 | 49 | 46 |
| Low °F | 27 | 26 | 26 | 31 | 32 | 38 | 41 | 44 | 42 | 37 | 33 | 28 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.2 |
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
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Mount Moffett, closest first.
Lake
Hot SpringHot Spring
Scenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Mountain Peak
WaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Moffett?
What time is golden hour at Mount Moffett?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Moffett?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Moffett?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Moffett?
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.