Located in Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska, Mount Recheshnoi is a mountain peak at about 1,933 m (6,342 ft) above sea level.
Mount Recheshnoi (also spelled Recheschnoi) is a heavily eroded stratovolcano located near the center of the SW lobe of Umnak Island in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. The northeast flank of Recheshnoi has one of the hottest and most extensive thermal areas in Alaska. The Geyser Bight geothermal area consists of six zones of thermal springs and two fumarolic areas along upper Geyser Creek and contains the only known geysers in the state. In three locations in 1988 here have been found 5 active geysers up to 2 m high and 9 natural fountains up to 0.7 m high. Other thermal areas occur at Hot Springs Cove and Partov Cove on the isthmus between Recheshnoi and Mount Okmok. The most recent eruption of Mount Recheshnoi was on the flank of the volcano around 3,000 years ago.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Recheshnoi”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Recheshnoi the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 47° (NE) at the June solstice and 130° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 313° (NW) in June to 230° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 60° in summer but only 13° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:17 AM | 89° E | 8:28 PM | 271° W | 37° | 12h 11m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:48 AM | 47° NE | 10:46 PM | 313° NW | 60° | 16h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:01 AM | 89° E | 8:14 PM | 272° W | 37° | 12h 13m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 9:27 AM | 130° SE | 4:59 PM | 230° SW | 13° | 7h 32m |
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 | 8:41 AM | 9:21 AM | 10:22 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:27 PM | 6:08 PM | 8h 06m |
| February | 7:57 AM | 8:33 AM | 9:23 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:26 PM | 7:02 PM | 9h 53m |
| March | 7:55 AM | 8:29 AM | 9:15 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:53 PM | 11h 50m |
| April | 6:38 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:02 AM | 8:27 PM | 9:14 PM | 9:51 PM | 13h 59m |
| May | 5:32 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:08 AM | 9:15 PM | 10:07 PM | 10:51 PM | 15h 51m |
| June | 4:56 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:45 AM | 9:46 PM | 10:44 PM | 11:35 PM | 16h 56m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:02 AM | 9:40 PM | 10:35 PM | 11:22 PM | 16h 28m |
| August | 6:17 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:55 PM | 9:43 PM | 10:23 PM | 14h 47m |
| September | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:35 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:06 PM | 12h 42m |
| October | 8:07 AM | 8:42 AM | 9:30 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:55 PM | 10h 38m |
| November | 8:01 AM | 8:40 AM | 9:37 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:58 PM | 8h 40m |
| December | 8:41 AM | 9:23 AM | 10:30 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:40 PM | 7h 34m |
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 | — | 1° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| June | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| July | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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 5.5+ 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 90% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (97%). August is the warmest month and March 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 | 43 | 44 | 43 | 45 | 46 | 51 | 58 | 58 | 55 | 52 | 48 | 44 |
| Low °F | 21 | 21 | 20 | 25 | 28 | 38 | 39 | 43 | 41 | 36 | 30 | 25 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 4.1 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.4 |
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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Recheshnoi, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Recheshnoi?
What time is golden hour at Mount Recheshnoi?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Recheshnoi?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Recheshnoi?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Recheshnoi?
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.