Located in Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska, Kasatochi Island is a volcano.
Kasatochi Island (Aleut: Qanan-tanax̂; Russian: Касаточий остров), also known as Kasatochi volcano, is an active stratovolcano and part of the Andreanof Islands subgroup of the Aleutian Islands of southwestern Alaska. On 7 August 2008, Kasatochi began erupting explosively with an ash plume reaching 45,000 feet (14,000 m). The eruption lasted for 24 hours and destroyed most life on the island. Since the eruption, it has been the site of research on the primary succession of species back onto the island. It currently does not support any consistent human population. Kasatochi Island is a member of the Aleutian Islands, which lie above a narrow ridge that separates the Bering Sea from the North Pacific. It lies at the Atka Pass northwest of the western tip of Atka Island and east of Great Sitkin Island. It is at 52.177° N latitude and 175.508° W longitude, with a summit elevation of...From the Wikipedia article “Kasatochi Island”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kasatochi Island the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 48° (NE) at the June solstice and 129° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 312° (NW) in June to 231° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 61° in summer but only 14° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:45 AM | 89° E | 8:56 PM | 271° W | 38° | 12h 11m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:22 AM | 48° NE | 11:08 PM | 312° NW | 61° | 16h 46m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:29 AM | 89° E | 8:42 PM | 272° W | 38° | 12h 13m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 9:50 AM | 129° SE | 5:32 PM | 231° SW | 14° | 7h 43m |
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
Volcanic cones and lava fields have strong shapes that read well in side-light; dark basalt needs careful exposure.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9:05 AM | 9:44 AM | 10:43 AM | 5:01 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:39 PM | 8h 15m |
| February | 8:23 AM | 8:58 AM | 9:47 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:31 PM | 9h 58m |
| March | 8:23 AM | 8:57 AM | 9:42 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:21 PM | 11h 50m |
| April | 7:09 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:31 AM | 8:54 PM | 9:40 PM | 10:16 PM | 13h 55m |
| May | 6:05 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:39 AM | 9:40 PM | 10:31 PM | 11:13 PM | 15h 43m |
| June | 5:32 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:17 AM | 10:10 PM | 11:06 PM | 11:55 PM | 16h 44m |
| July | 5:54 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:33 AM | 10:04 PM | 10:57 PM | 11:43 PM | 16h 17m |
| August | 6:49 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:14 AM | 9:21 PM | 10:08 PM | 10:46 PM | 14h 41m |
| September | 7:44 AM | 8:18 AM | 9:02 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:33 PM | 12h 41m |
| October | 8:34 AM | 9:08 AM | 9:55 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:23 PM | 10h 41m |
| November | 8:26 AM | 9:04 AM | 9:59 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:29 PM | 8h 48m |
| December | 9:05 AM | 9:46 AM | 10:49 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:31 PM | 6:12 PM | 7h 45m |
Local time (America/Adak), 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
At this latitude the summer nights are too short or too bright for the Milky Way core to stand high in true darkness; aim for star trails or the aurora.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| June | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| July | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -21° | — |
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 ≈ 21.95 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 83% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (96%). August 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 | 44 | 45 | 43 | 45 | 46 | 50 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 54 | 49 | 46 |
| Low °F | 26 | 25 | 24 | 29 | 30 | 35 | 40 | 42 | 41 | 36 | 31 | 28 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.2 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 3.8 |
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 volcano
- Long lenses from 20–60 miles away make large stratovolcanoes dominate the horizon.
- Check local volcanic activity notices and area closures before visiting.
- Snow-capped volcanoes reflect alpenglow at sunrise — shoot from a lake or meadow for a reflection.
- Lava rock is sharp and unstable; stay on trails.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Summer for high trails; winter and spring for snowy cones viewed from below.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Tripod, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Kasatochi Island?
What time is golden hour at Kasatochi Island?
Where does the sun rise and set at Kasatochi Island?
Can you see the Milky Way from Kasatochi Island?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Kasatochi Island?
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.