Big Hatchet Peak is a mountain peak in Hidalgo County, New Mexico at about 2,541 m (8,337 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 93 km (58 mi) SW of Deming.
Big Hatchet Peak is the high point of the Big Hatchet Mountains, a small but rugged range in the southwest corner (the "Bootheel") of New Mexico, in the United States. The mountains are located in southeast Hidalgo County, about 50 miles (80 km) southwest of Deming. The range runs roughly northwest–southeast, and is about 12 miles (19 km) long; the southeastern edge of the range is within 3.5 miles (6 km) of the border with Mexico. They lie primarily on BLM land. The peak rises steeply out of the Playas Valley, to the west, and the Hachita Valley, to the east of the range. The summit stands about 4,000 feet above the valley floors. Also, the north and west faces of the peak are particularly steep, making for an impressive mountain. There are a few other minor summits in this small range, but most are not named, except for Zeller Peak two miles north, and New Well Peak with a summit...From the Wikipedia article “Big Hatchet Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Big Hatchet Peak the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 82° in summer but only 35° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:18 AM | 90° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:10 AM | 62° ENE | 8:23 PM | 299° WNW | 82° | 14h 13m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:03 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:10 AM | 117° ESE | 5:15 PM | 243° WSW | 35° | 10h 05m |
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 | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:33 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 19m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:26 PM | 11h 05m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:21 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:08 PM | 12h 57m |
| May | 5:51 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 46m |
| June | 5:41 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 12m |
| July | 5:52 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 01m |
| August | 6:14 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:25 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 19m |
| September | 6:34 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:43 PM | 7:07 PM | 11h 25m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:18 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:41 PM | 10h 33m |
| December | 6:40 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:39 PM | 10h 06m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Big Hatchet Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 29° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:43 AM – 5:33 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:54 AM – 5:54 AM | 2.0 | 26° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:48 AM – 5:18 AM | 3.5 | 29° | SE → S |
| May | 11:48 PM – 4:38 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:01 PM – 4:21 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:58 PM – 2:58 AM | 5.0 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:27 PM – 12:57 AM | 3.5 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 10:53 PM | 2.2 | 26° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:04 PM – 8:54 PM | 0.8 | 18° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 21.91 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 24% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (57%). June 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 | 73 | 81 | 85 | 93 | 103 | 107 | 107 | 103 | 99 | 93 | 83 | 76 |
| Low °F | 19 | 8 | 19 | 27 | 37 | 51 | 59 | 57 | 47 | 25 | 19 | 18 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 3.1 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
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
- Long lenses compress ridgelines; shoot the peak from several miles away to make it look massive.
- 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.
- 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 Big Hatchet Peak?
What time is golden hour at Big Hatchet Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Big Hatchet Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Big Hatchet Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Big Hatchet Peak?
How far is Big Hatchet Peak from Deming?
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.