Located in Hawaii County, Hawaii, Onomea Arch is a natural arch. The nearest town is Pāpa‘ikou, about 2.6 km (1.6 mi) away (Onomea Arch lies N of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Onomea Arch the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 65° (ENE) at the June solstice and 115° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 295° (WNW) in June to 245° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 86° in summer but only 47° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:25 AM | 90° E | 6:32 PM | 270° W | 70° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:43 AM | 65° ENE | 7:03 PM | 295° WNW | 86° | 13h 20m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:10 AM | 89° E | 6:18 PM | 271° W | 70° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:51 AM | 115° ESE | 5:47 PM | 245° WSW | 47° | 10h 56m |
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 | 6:35 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:26 PM | 11h 04m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 30m |
| March | 6:07 AM | 6:29 AM | 6:59 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:53 PM | 12h 01m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:32 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:01 PM | 12h 36m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:13 PM | 13h 04m |
| June | 5:18 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:26 PM | 13h 19m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:27 PM | 13h 13m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:31 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:13 PM | 12h 48m |
| September | 5:47 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:38 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:46 PM | 12h 16m |
| October | 5:53 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:45 AM | 5:28 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:20 PM | 11h 42m |
| November | 6:07 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:01 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:05 PM | 11h 12m |
| December | 6:24 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:21 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 56m |
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 Onomea Arch, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 41° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| February | 4:04 AM – 5:34 AM | 1.5 | 27° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:13 AM – 5:13 AM | 3.0 | 38° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:14 AM – 4:44 AM | 4.5 | 41° | SE → S |
| May | 10:09 PM – 4:19 AM | 6.2 | 41° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:25 PM – 4:15 AM | 7.8 | 41° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:25 PM – 2:45 AM | 6.3 | 41° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:07 PM – 12:47 AM | 4.7 | 41° | S → SW |
| September | 7:37 PM – 10:47 PM | 3.2 | 38° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:11 PM – 8:51 PM | 1.7 | 27° | 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.84 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show January as the clearest month (about 50% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (62%). August 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 | 77 | 78 | 76 | 79 | 81 | 80 | 83 | 82 | 79 | 78 | 76 |
| Low °F | 50 | 46 | 48 | 52 | 53 | 55 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 53 | 50 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.6 | 6.6 | 8.6 | 7.7 | 5.4 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 5.4 | 4.8 | 5.3 | 6.7 | 6.6 |
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.
- At night, arches make classic Milky Way foregrounds; low-level lighting or blue hour exposures keep the rock detailed.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Onomea Arch, closest first.
Botanical Garden
WaterfallWaterfall
State Park
WaterfallWaterfall
Botanical Garden
Beach
WaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Onomea Arch?
What time is golden hour at Onomea Arch?
Where does the sun rise and set at Onomea Arch?
Can you see the Milky Way from Onomea Arch?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Onomea Arch?
How far is Onomea Arch from Pāpa‘ikou?
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.