Aguila Arch is a natural arch in Maricopa County, Arizona at about 279 m (915 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Ajo, about 52 km (32 mi) away (Aguila Arch lies WNW of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Aguila Arch the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:38 AM | 90° E | 6:45 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:27 AM | 61° ENE | 7:45 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 18m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:22 AM | 89° E | 6:31 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:32 AM | 118° ESE | 5:32 PM | 243° WSW | 34° | 10h 00m |
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
Arches glow when reflected light bounces off nearby rock — the underside of an arch often turns bright orange just after sunrise or before sunset.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:09 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:13 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 14m |
| February | 6:52 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 02m |
| March | 6:20 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:06 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:39 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:37 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:29 PM | 12h 59m |
| May | 5:09 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:53 PM | 13h 50m |
| June | 4:58 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:12 PM | 14h 17m |
| July | 5:09 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:11 PM | 14h 06m |
| August | 5:32 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:31 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:46 PM | 13h 22m |
| September | 5:53 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:50 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:06 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:13 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:26 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 29m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 01m |
Local time (America/Phoenix), 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 Aguila Arch, 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 5:02 AM – 5:52 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:13 AM – 5:13 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:09 AM – 4:29 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:09 PM – 3:59 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:24 PM – 3:44 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:20 PM – 2:10 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:48 PM – 12:08 AM | 3.3 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 8:03 PM – 10:13 PM | 2.2 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:23 PM – 8:13 PM | 0.8 | 18° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.74 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 15% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (38%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 83 | 89 | 100 | 103 | 111 | 119 | 119 | 116 | 118 | 107 | 98 | 86 |
| Low °F | 23 | 26 | 35 | 40 | 47 | 57 | 65 | 65 | 54 | 43 | 31 | 27 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
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 natural arch
- Use a wide lens and get close to emphasize the span against the sky.
- Never climb on arches; many are fragile and climbing is prohibited on park lands.
- Midday sun creates hard shadows, but can light the underside through reflection in narrow canyons.
- Frame distant features through the opening of the arch for a natural window.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Spring and autumn offer mild temperatures in desert arch country; summer heat is extreme at midday.
Suggested gear: Ultra-wide lens, Tripod, Headlamp, Plenty of water. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Aguila Arch?
What time is golden hour at Aguila Arch?
Where does the sun rise and set at Aguila Arch?
Can you see the Milky Way from Aguila Arch?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Aguila Arch?
How far is Aguila Arch from Ajo?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.