Uliaga Island — a volcano in Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska — is a popular subject for landscape photographers.
Uliaga Island (also spelled Uliagan, Ouliaga, and Ouilliaghui; Russian: Уляга) is the northernmost member of the Islands of the Four Mountains group in the Aleutian Islands of southwestern Alaska. The island's name is probably derived from the Aleut place name ulaĝa, which is itself derived from ulaẍ - "bearberry." The triangular shaped island measures about 2.4 miles (3.9 km) across and consists of a single stratovolcano cone that reaches a height of 2,913 feet (888 m). The island has an area of 3.44 square miles (8.9 km2). No eruptions have been recorded in historical times, though it is thought to have been active at some time during the Holocene Epoch.From the Wikipedia article “Uliaga Island”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Uliaga Island the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 47° (NE) at the June solstice and 130° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 313° (NW) in June to 230° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 60° in summer but only 13° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:22 AM | 89° E | 8:33 PM | 271° W | 37° | 12h 11m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:53 AM | 47° NE | 10:50 PM | 313° NW | 60° | 16h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:06 AM | 89° E | 8:19 PM | 272° W | 37° | 12h 13m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 9:32 AM | 130° SE | 5:04 PM | 230° SW | 13° | 7h 33m |
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 | 8:45 AM | 9:26 AM | 10:26 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:13 PM | 8h 07m |
| February | 8:01 AM | 8:37 AM | 9:28 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:31 PM | 7:07 PM | 9h 54m |
| March | 8:00 AM | 8:34 AM | 9:20 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:58 PM | 11h 50m |
| April | 6:43 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:07 AM | 8:32 PM | 9:19 PM | 9:56 PM | 13h 59m |
| May | 5:37 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:13 AM | 9:20 PM | 10:12 PM | 10:56 PM | 15h 51m |
| June | 5:02 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:50 AM | 9:51 PM | 10:48 PM | 11:39 PM | 16h 55m |
| July | 5:25 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:07 AM | 9:44 PM | 10:39 PM | 11:27 PM | 16h 27m |
| August | 6:22 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:59 PM | 9:48 PM | 10:27 PM | 14h 47m |
| September | 7:19 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:40 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:11 PM | 12h 42m |
| October | 8:11 AM | 8:46 AM | 9:34 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:25 PM | 8:00 PM | 10h 38m |
| November | 8:06 AM | 8:44 AM | 9:41 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:25 PM | 6:04 PM | 8h 41m |
| December | 8:45 AM | 9:28 AM | 10:34 AM | 3:57 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:45 PM | 7h 35m |
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 | — | -7° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| June | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| July | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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 5.5+ 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 90% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (97%). August is the warmest month and March 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 | 43 | 44 | 43 | 44 | 46 | 51 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 52 | 48 | 44 |
| Low °F | 22 | 22 | 21 | 26 | 28 | 37 | 39 | 43 | 42 | 36 | 31 | 25 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.2 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.3 |
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
- Lava rock is sharp and unstable; stay on trails.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Uliaga Island?
What time is golden hour at Uliaga Island?
Where does the sun rise and set at Uliaga Island?
Can you see the Milky Way from Uliaga Island?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Uliaga 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.