Mount Takawangha — a volcano in Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska — is a classic subject for landscape photographers.
Mount Takawangha is a stratovolcano located in Tanaga Island, Alaska. It sits in close proximity with another volcano known as Mount Tanaga, which shares the same name as the island itself. Older and more eroded volcanoes can also be found east of Takawangha. Its elevation is 4,754 ft (1,449 m), making it the second-highest peak on the island.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Takawangha”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Takawangha the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 49° (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 62° in summer but only 15° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:55 AM | 89° E | 9:06 PM | 271° W | 38° | 12h 11m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:34 AM | 49° NE | 11:16 PM | 312° NW | 62° | 16h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:39 AM | 89° E | 8:52 PM | 272° W | 38° | 12h 13m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 9:58 AM | 129° SE | 5:44 PM | 231° SW | 15° | 7h 46m |
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 | 9:14 AM | 9:53 AM | 10:51 AM | 5:13 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:50 PM | 8h 18m |
| February | 8:32 AM | 9:07 AM | 9:56 AM | 6:18 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:42 PM | 10h 00m |
| March | 8:33 AM | 9:07 AM | 9:51 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:31 PM | 11h 50m |
| April | 7:20 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:41 AM | 9:04 PM | 9:50 PM | 10:25 PM | 13h 54m |
| May | 6:17 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:50 AM | 9:49 PM | 10:39 PM | 11:22 PM | 15h 40m |
| June | 5:45 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:28 AM | 10:19 PM | 11:14 PM | 12:02 AM | 16h 41m |
| July | 6:06 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:44 AM | 10:13 PM | 11:06 PM | 11:51 PM | 16h 14m |
| August | 7:00 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:25 AM | 9:30 PM | 10:17 PM | 10:55 PM | 14h 39m |
| September | 7:54 AM | 8:28 AM | 9:12 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:42 PM | 12h 40m |
| October | 8:44 AM | 9:18 AM | 10:04 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:33 PM | 10h 42m |
| November | 8:35 AM | 9:13 AM | 10:07 AM | 5:08 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:40 PM | 8h 50m |
| December | 9:14 AM | 9:54 AM | 10:57 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:23 PM | 7h 48m |
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 | — | 2° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| June | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| July | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| 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 7.0+ 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 80% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (97%). 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 | 44 | 45 | 48 | 53 | 56 | 54 | 54 | 50 | 46 |
| Low °F | 27 | 27 | 26 | 31 | 34 | 38 | 40 | 42 | 40 | 36 | 33 | 29 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 2.8 | 2.4 | 2.8 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 3.7 |
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 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Mount Takawangha, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Takawangha?
What time is golden hour at Mount Takawangha?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Takawangha?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Takawangha?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Takawangha?
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.