Located in San Juan County, Utah, King-on-his-Throne is a rock formation. The nearest town is Kayenta, about 38 km (24 mi) away (King-on-his-Throne lies NNE of town).
King-on-his-Throne is a 6,165-foot-elevation (1,879-meter) summit in San Juan County, Utah, United States.From the Wikipedia article “King-on-his-Throne”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At King-on-his-Throne 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 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:25 AM | 90° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:02 AM | 60° ENE | 8:44 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:09 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:31 AM | 119° ESE | 5:08 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 37m |
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 | 7:05 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:56 PM | 9h 54m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:27 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 7:06 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:54 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:44 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 09m |
| June | 5:30 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 41m |
| July | 5:43 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:51 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 28m |
| August | 6:10 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:37 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:45 PM | 7:11 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:40 PM | 10h 12m |
| December | 6:58 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 38m |
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 King-on-his-Throne, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | 5:18 AM – 5:38 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:24 AM – 5:54 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:17 AM – 5:07 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:25 AM – 4:25 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:34 PM – 4:04 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:28 PM – 2:38 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:49 PM – 12:39 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:57 PM – 10:37 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:11 PM – 8:41 PM | 0.5 | 14° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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: 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 June as the clearest month (about 30% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (51%). 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 | 66 | 69 | 81 | 89 | 101 | 105 | 108 | 105 | 102 | 92 | 78 | 64 |
| Low °F | 3 | 1 | 18 | 22 | 28 | 40 | 54 | 53 | 35 | 16 | 16 | 9 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.7 |
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
- 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.
- Stay on trails; desert soils and lichens take decades to recover from footprints.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 King-on-his-Throne, closest first.
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Rock FormationFAQ
When is the best time to photograph King-on-his-Throne?
What time is golden hour at King-on-his-Throne?
Where does the sun rise and set at King-on-his-Throne?
Can you see the Milky Way from King-on-his-Throne?
Do you need a permit to photograph at King-on-his-Throne?
How far is King-on-his-Throne from Kayenta?
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.