Located in Socorro County, New Mexico, Mesa del Contadero is a rock formation. The nearest town is Socorro, about 44 km (28 mi) away (Mesa del Contadero lies S of town).
Mesa del Contadero, sometimes called Black Mesa, also appeared on a 1773 Spanish map as Mesa de Senecú, is a basalt mesa that stands out on the east bank of the Rio Grande over three miles southwest of Val Verde in Socorro County, New Mexico. The mesa rises up dramatically from its lower surroundings in steep sides of 250 to 300 feet, particularly on the three sides where the river must pass around it to the west. It then levels off to a level area on top of an elevation of 4,810 feet (1,470 meters), with a high point summit called Mesa Peak at 4,916 feet on the northeast edge of the Mesa.From the Wikipedia article “Mesa del Contadero”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mesa del Contadero 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 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:12 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:59 AM | 61° ENE | 8:22 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 23m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:09 AM | 118° ESE | 5:04 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 55m |
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 | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 10m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:28 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:18 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 6:54 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:12 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:41 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 54m |
| June | 5:29 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 23m |
| July | 5:41 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 11m |
| August | 6:05 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 25m |
| September | 6:27 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:48 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:17 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 26m |
| December | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 56m |
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 Mesa del Contadero, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:47 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:49 AM – 5:49 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:57 AM – 5:07 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:59 PM – 4:29 AM | 4.5 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:05 PM – 4:05 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:01 PM – 2:41 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:27 PM – 12:37 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:40 PM – 10:40 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:58 PM – 8:38 PM | 0.7 | 17° | 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 ≈ 21.89 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 July as the cloudiest (52%). 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 | 67 | 76 | 85 | 90 | 100 | 106 | 105 | 101 | 98 | 90 | 79 | 70 |
| Low °F | 13 | -1 | 18 | 24 | 32 | 46 | 57 | 54 | 39 | 21 | 19 | 16 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.6 |
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 rock formation
- 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.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Mesa del Contadero, closest first.
Ghost Town
Scenic Viewpoint
National Wildlife Refuge
Wilderness AreaFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mesa del Contadero?
What time is golden hour at Mesa del Contadero?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mesa del Contadero?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mesa del Contadero?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mesa del Contadero?
How far is Mesa del Contadero from Socorro?
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.