Located in Aleutians East Borough, Alaska, Pavlof Sister is a mountain peak at about 2,055 m (6,742 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 53 km (33 mi) NNE of King Cove.
Pavlof Sister is a stratovolcano on the Alaska Peninsula. It is a satellite peak of Pavlof Volcano, lying directly northeast. The mountain was named by the USGS in 1929. It is considered dormant, as the volcano was reported to have last erupted between 1762 and 1786 although the event is questionable. The Alaska Volcano Observatory has the volcano alert level of Pavlof Sister set to "Unassigned", meaning the volcano is not currently monitored.From the Wikipedia article “Pavlof Sister”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pavlof Sister the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 44° (NE) at the June solstice and 133° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 316° (NW) in June to 227° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 58° in summer but only 11° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:50 AM | 89° E | 9:01 PM | 271° W | 34° | 12h 11m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:05 AM | 44° NE | 11:35 PM | 316° NW | 58° | 17h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:34 AM | 89° E | 8:48 PM | 272° W | 35° | 12h 14m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:14 AM | 133° SE | 5:18 PM | 227° SW | 11° | 7h 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 | 9:22 AM | 10:06 AM | 11:14 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:33 PM | 7h 43m |
| February | 8:34 AM | 9:12 AM | 10:06 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:31 PM | 9h 41m |
| March | 8:26 AM | 9:03 AM | 9:52 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:28 PM | 11h 48m |
| April | 7:04 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:33 AM | 9:03 PM | 9:53 PM | 10:32 PM | 14h 10m |
| May | 5:49 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:34 AM | 9:55 PM | 10:51 PM | 11:40 PM | 16h 14m |
| June | 5:06 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:08 AM | 10:30 PM | 11:32 PM | 12:32 AM | 17h 27m |
| July | 5:33 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:26 AM | 10:22 PM | 11:21 PM | 12:15 AM | 16h 54m |
| August | 6:39 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:13 AM | 9:32 PM | 10:24 PM | 11:07 PM | 15h 02m |
| September | 7:44 AM | 8:21 AM | 9:09 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:06 PM | 9:43 PM | 12h 46m |
| October | 8:42 AM | 9:19 AM | 10:10 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:26 PM | 10h 30m |
| November | 8:41 AM | 9:23 AM | 10:25 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:25 PM | 8h 21m |
| December | 9:24 AM | 10:10 AM | 11:26 AM | 4:01 PM | 5:17 PM | 6:03 PM | 7h 07m |
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
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 | — | -9° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| 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 4.0+ 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 74% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (82%). 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 | 42 | 42 | 45 | 50 | 67 | 71 | 75 | 70 | 62 | 55 | 50 | 46 |
| Low °F | 4 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 22 | 32 | 38 | 40 | 33 | 27 | 18 | 10 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 3.7 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 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.
- 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 Pavlof Sister, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pavlof Sister?
What time is golden hour at Pavlof Sister?
Where does the sun rise and set at Pavlof Sister?
Can you see the Milky Way from Pavlof Sister?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Pavlof Sister?
How far is Pavlof Sister from King Cove?
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.