Mount Young — a volcano in Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska — is a popular subject for landscape photographers.
Mount Young (formerly Mount Cerberus) is an Alaskan volcano on Semisopochnoi Island named after former U.S. Congressman Don Young. A bill was signed into law by U.S. President Joe Biden in December 2022 to rename the volcano and commemorate the legacy of Young.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Young (Alaska)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Young 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) | 9:05 AM | 89° E | 9:15 PM | 271° W | 38° | 12h 11m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:43 AM | 49° NE | 11:26 PM | 312° NW | 62° | 16h 43m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:49 AM | 89° E | 9:01 PM | 272° W | 38° | 12h 13m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:08 AM | 129° SE | 5:53 PM | 231° SW | 15° | 7h 45m |
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 | 9:24 AM | 10:03 AM | 11:01 AM | 5:22 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:59 PM | 8h 18m |
| February | 8:42 AM | 9:17 AM | 10:06 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:51 PM | 9h 59m |
| March | 8:43 AM | 9:16 AM | 10:01 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:40 PM | 11h 50m |
| April | 7:29 AM | 8:05 AM | 8:51 AM | 9:14 PM | 9:59 PM | 10:35 PM | 13h 54m |
| May | 6:26 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:59 AM | 9:59 PM | 10:49 PM | 11:31 PM | 15h 41m |
| June | 5:54 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:37 AM | 10:29 PM | 11:24 PM | 12:12 AM | 16h 41m |
| July | 6:15 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:54 AM | 10:23 PM | 11:16 PM | 12:01 AM | 16h 15m |
| August | 7:09 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:34 AM | 9:40 PM | 10:27 PM | 11:05 PM | 14h 40m |
| September | 8:03 AM | 8:37 AM | 9:22 AM | 8:34 PM | 9:18 PM | 9:52 PM | 12h 40m |
| October | 8:53 AM | 9:27 AM | 10:14 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:43 PM | 10h 42m |
| November | 8:45 AM | 9:22 AM | 10:17 AM | 5:17 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:49 PM | 8h 49m |
| December | 9:23 AM | 10:04 AM | 11:07 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:32 PM | 7h 47m |
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 | — | 5° | — |
| 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 | — | 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 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 (96%). August is the warmest month and February 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 | 44 | 43 | 44 | 44 | 49 | 53 | 56 | 55 | 54 | 50 | 46 |
| Low °F | 26 | 27 | 26 | 31 | 34 | 36 | 40 | 41 | 40 | 36 | 32 | 29 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 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
- 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.
- Long lenses from 20–60 miles away make large stratovolcanoes dominate the horizon.
- 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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Young?
What time is golden hour at Mount Young?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Young?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Young?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Young?
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.