Tantalus is a mountain peak in Honolulu County, Hawaii at about 613 m (2,011 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 1.4 km (0.9 mi) NW of Upper Manoa.
Mount Tantalus (Puʻu ʻōhiʻa) is an extinct cinder cone in the southern Koʻolau Range on the Hawaiian Island of Oʻahu. It also has a summit crater, Tantalus Crater. The cinder cone formed after the demise of Koʻolau Volcano, during a time of rejuvenated-stage volcanism in southeastern Oʻahu that also formed Punchbowl Crater, Diamond Head and Koko Head as part of the Honolulu Volcanics. Tantalus overlooks the modern city of Honolulu, which is built on top of Tantalus cinders.From the Wikipedia article “Tantalus (Oahu)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Tantalus the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 64° (ENE) at the June solstice and 115° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 296° (WNW) in June to 245° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 88° in summer but only 45° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:36 AM | 90° E | 6:43 PM | 270° W | 69° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:51 AM | 64° ENE | 7:17 PM | 296° WNW | 88° | 13h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:21 AM | 89° E | 6:29 PM | 271° W | 69° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:05 AM | 115° ESE | 5:55 PM | 245° WSW | 45° | 10h 50m |
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 | 6:48 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:34 PM | 10h 59m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 27m |
| March | 6:18 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:04 PM | 12h 01m |
| April | 5:50 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:42 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:14 PM | 12h 38m |
| May | 5:30 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:27 PM | 13h 09m |
| June | 5:25 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:40 PM | 13h 25m |
| July | 5:34 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:30 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:41 PM | 13h 19m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:26 PM | 12h 52m |
| September | 5:57 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:06 PM | 6:35 PM | 6:58 PM | 12h 16m |
| October | 6:05 AM | 6:28 AM | 6:57 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:30 PM | 11h 40m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:15 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:14 PM | 11h 07m |
| December | 6:38 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 51m |
Local time (Pacific/Honolulu), 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
From Tantalus, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 40° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 9 (inner-city sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| February | 4:15 AM – 5:45 AM | 1.5 | 26° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:25 AM – 5:25 AM | 3.0 | 37° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:27 AM – 4:47 AM | 4.3 | 40° | SE → S |
| May | 10:24 PM – 4:24 AM | 6.0 | 40° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:40 PM – 4:20 AM | 7.7 | 40° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:40 PM – 2:50 AM | 6.2 | 40° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:20 PM – 12:50 AM | 4.5 | 40° | S → SW |
| September | 7:49 PM – 10:49 PM | 3.0 | 37° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:22 PM – 8:52 PM | 1.5 | 26° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -17° | — |
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: 9 Bortle 9 — Inner-city sky. Only the Moon, planets and a few bright stars are visible. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 17.88 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 47% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (61%). September is the warmest month and February 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 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 83 | 83 | 85 | 85 | 84 | 83 | 80 |
| Low °F | 68 | 66 | 66 | 67 | 70 | 74 | 74 | 75 | 75 | 73 | 72 | 69 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.2 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 2.9 |
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.
- 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 Tantalus, closest first.
Botanical Garden
Waterfall
Botanical Garden
Waterfall
Botanical GardenWaterfall
Botanical Garden
Lighthouse
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Tantalus?
What time is golden hour at Tantalus?
Where does the sun rise and set at Tantalus?
Can you see the Milky Way from Tantalus?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Tantalus?
How far is Tantalus from Upper Manoa?
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.