Eye of the Needle — a natural arch in Jeff Davis County, Texas at about 1,592 m (5,223 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 23 km (14 mi) NNW of Fort Davis.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Eye of the Needle 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 298° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 83° in summer but only 36° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:01 AM | 90° E | 8:08 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:54 AM | 62° ENE | 9:03 PM | 298° WNW | 83° | 14h 09m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:45 AM | 89° E | 7:54 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:50 AM | 117° ESE | 5:59 PM | 243° WSW | 36° | 10h 09m |
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 | 7:29 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:30 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:43 PM | 10h 22m |
| February | 7:13 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:44 PM | 7:09 PM | 11h 07m |
| March | 7:43 AM | 8:07 AM | 8:39 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:29 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 7:04 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:01 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:49 PM | 12h 55m |
| May | 6:36 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:11 PM | 13h 43m |
| June | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:26 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:29 PM | 14h 08m |
| July | 6:37 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:26 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:28 PM | 13h 57m |
| August | 6:58 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:05 PM | 13h 16m |
| September | 7:17 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:13 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:27 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 7:35 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:31 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:50 PM | 11h 27m |
| November | 6:58 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:25 PM | 10h 36m |
| December | 7:20 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:23 AM | 5:21 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:24 PM | 10h 10m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Eye of the Needle, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 30° 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 5:15 AM – 6:15 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:25 AM – 6:45 AM | 2.3 | 27° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:28 AM – 5:58 AM | 3.5 | 30° | SE → S |
| May | 12:26 AM – 5:26 AM | 5.0 | 30° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:39 PM – 5:09 AM | 6.5 | 30° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:36 PM – 3:46 AM | 5.2 | 30° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:06 PM – 1:46 AM | 3.7 | 30° | S → SW |
| September | 9:24 PM – 11:44 PM | 2.3 | 27° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:46 PM – 9:46 PM | 1.0 | 19° | 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 ≈ 21.94 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 31% average cloud cover) and August as the cloudiest (43%). 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 | 79 | 86 | 91 | 98 | 103 | 107 | 105 | 103 | 99 | 93 | 85 | 78 |
| Low °F | 17 | 7 | 17 | 30 | 32 | 55 | 58 | 56 | 47 | 24 | 18 | 13 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 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
- At night, arches make classic Milky Way foregrounds; low-level lighting or blue hour exposures keep the rock detailed.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Eye of the Needle, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Eye of the Needle?
What time is golden hour at Eye of the Needle?
Where does the sun rise and set at Eye of the Needle?
Can you see the Milky Way from Eye of the Needle?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Eye of the Needle?
How far is Eye of the Needle from Fort Davis?
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.