Dowa Yalanne is a rock formation in McKinley County, New Mexico. The nearest town is Black Rock, about 4.0 km (2.5 mi) away (Dowa Yalanne lies S of town).
Dowa Yalanne (Zuni: "Corn Mountain") is a steep mesa 3.1 miles (5 km) southeast of the present Pueblo of Zuni, on the Zuni Indian Reservation. Plainly visible from the Zuni Pueblo, the mesa is located in McKinley County, New Mexico, and has an elevation of 7,274 feet (2,217 m). The mesa is a sacred place for the Zuni people, who fled to the mesa top to escape the Coronado expedition in 1540, and it is closed to outside visitors.From the Wikipedia article “Dowa Yalanne”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Dowa Yalanne 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) | 7:20 AM | 90° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:02 AM | 60° ENE | 8:33 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 119° ESE | 5:08 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 | 6:56 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 03m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:23 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:24 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:18 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 5:44 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 00m |
| June | 5:32 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 30m |
| July | 5:44 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:30 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 17m |
| August | 6:09 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 29m |
| September | 6:33 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:07 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:38 PM | 10h 20m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 49m |
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 Dowa Yalanne, 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 | 4:53 AM – 5:33 AM | 0.7 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:07 AM – 5:57 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:07 AM – 5:07 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 12:11 AM – 4:31 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:18 PM – 4:08 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:13 PM – 2:43 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:38 PM – 12:38 AM | 3.0 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:49 PM – 10:39 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:05 PM – 8:45 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 ≈ 21.3 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 30% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (55%). July 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 | 61 | 66 | 76 | 83 | 94 | 99 | 99 | 96 | 94 | 84 | 73 | 64 |
| Low °F | -3 | -5 | 11 | 18 | 22 | 33 | 49 | 47 | 29 | 13 | 10 | 3 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.8 |
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
- Use the sunrise and sunset azimuths below to know which face will be lit.
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Dowa Yalanne, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Dowa Yalanne?
What time is golden hour at Dowa Yalanne?
Where does the sun rise and set at Dowa Yalanne?
Can you see the Milky Way from Dowa Yalanne?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Dowa Yalanne?
How far is Dowa Yalanne from Black Rock?
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.