Anderson Mesa — a rock formation in Coconino County, Arizona — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 21 km (13 mi) E of Mountainaire.
Anderson Mesa (Navajo: Hosh Dikʼání) is approximately five miles long, located 20 miles southeast of Flagstaff, Arizona, United States, east of Lake Mary and north of Mormon Lake, in Coconino County. This mesa landform, with an elevation between 6,200 and 7,200 feet (1,900 and 2,200 m), has been the site of Lowell Observatory's Anderson Mesa Station since 1959. Because it is also very flat, it is also home to the Naval Observatory's Navy Precision Optical Interferometer, or "NPOI", since 1992. It is also the inspiration for the 1996 Jimmy Eat World song of the same title.From the Wikipedia article “Anderson Mesa”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Anderson Mesa the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:30 AM | 90° E | 6:38 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 60° ENE | 7:44 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:15 AM | 89° E | 6:24 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:31 AM | 119° ESE | 5:18 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 48m |
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
Rock towers and buttes glow red and orange in the first and last half-hour of sun; midday light flattens their shape.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:07 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:12 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 03m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 6:12 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:34 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:28 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:28 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:25 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 4:55 AM | 5:23 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:51 PM | 14h 00m |
| June | 4:42 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:50 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:12 PM | 14h 30m |
| July | 4:55 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:10 PM | 14h 17m |
| August | 5:20 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:43 PM | 13h 29m |
| September | 5:44 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:43 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:00 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:07 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:06 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:18 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:48 PM | 10h 20m |
| December | 6:59 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 49m |
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 Anderson Mesa, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:04 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.7 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:18 AM – 5:08 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:18 AM – 4:18 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:22 PM – 3:42 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:29 PM – 3:19 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:24 PM – 1:54 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:49 PM – 11:49 PM | 3.0 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:00 PM – 9:50 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:16 PM – 7:56 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.57 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 24% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (54%). 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 | 69 | 73 | 84 | 90 | 101 | 106 | 106 | 104 | 102 | 91 | 80 | 71 |
| Low °F | 4 | 3 | 14 | 22 | 28 | 39 | 53 | 50 | 37 | 18 | 12 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.4 |
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 rock formation
- Stay on trails; desert soils and lichens take decades to recover from footprints.
- Find a spot where the formation sits against open sky to emphasize its silhouette.
- At night, a formation under the Milky Way or star trails makes a strong anchor.
- Use the sunrise and sunset azimuths below to know which face will be lit.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Spring and autumn are best in desert regions; winter snow on red rock is rare but spectacular.
Suggested gear: Wide and telephoto lenses, Tripod, Headlamp. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Anderson Mesa, closest first.
Lake
Lake
Scenic Viewpoint
Canyon
Ghost Town
VolcanoVolcano
Dark Sky Place
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Pinegrove3.5 km (2.2 mi) · reservable
- Ashurst Lake4.9 km (3.0 mi) · reservable
- Lakeview Campground (Az)5.1 km (3.2 mi) · reservable
- Forked Pine Campground5.2 km (3.2 mi)
- Dairy Springs11.7 km (7.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Anderson Mesa?
What time is golden hour at Anderson Mesa?
Where does the sun rise and set at Anderson Mesa?
Can you see the Milky Way from Anderson Mesa?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Anderson Mesa?
How far is Anderson Mesa from Mountainaire?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.