Kama‘ehuakanaloa Seamount — a volcano in Hawaii County, Hawaii — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Pāhala, about 38 km (24 mi) away (Kama‘ehuakanaloa Seamount lies SE of town).
Kamaʻehuakanaloa Seamount (previously known as Lōʻihi) is an active submarine volcano about 22 mi (35 km) off the southeast coast of the island of Hawaii. The top of the seamount is about 3,200 ft (975 m) below sea level. This seamount is on the flank of Mauna Loa, the largest subaerial active shield volcano on Earth. Kamaʻehuakanaloa is the newest volcano in the Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain, a string of volcanoes that stretches about 3,900 mi (6,200 km) northwest of Kamaʻehuakanaloa. Unlike most active volcanoes in the Pacific Ocean that make up the active plate margins on the Pacific Ring of Fire, Kamaʻehuakanaloa and the other volcanoes of the Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain are hotspot volcanoes and formed well away from the nearest plate boundary. Volcanoes in the Hawaiian Islands arise from the Hawaii hotspot, and as the youngest volcano in the chain, Kamaʻehuakanaloa is the...From the Wikipedia article “Kamaʻehuakanaloa Seamount”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kama‘ehuakanaloa Seamount the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 65° (ENE) at the June solstice and 115° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 295° (WNW) in June to 246° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 85° in summer but only 48° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:26 AM | 90° E | 6:33 PM | 270° W | 71° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:46 AM | 65° ENE | 7:02 PM | 295° WNW | 85° | 13h 16m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:11 AM | 89° E | 6:18 PM | 271° W | 71° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:50 AM | 115° ESE | 5:50 PM | 246° WSW | 48° | 10h 59m |
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 | 6:34 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:28 PM | 11h 07m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 32m |
| March | 6:08 AM | 6:30 AM | 6:59 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:53 PM | 12h 01m |
| April | 5:42 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:34 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:01 PM | 12h 35m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:13 PM | 13h 02m |
| June | 5:20 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 13h 16m |
| July | 5:29 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:26 PM | 13h 10m |
| August | 5:41 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:33 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:12 PM | 12h 46m |
| September | 5:48 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:39 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:47 PM | 12h 15m |
| October | 5:54 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:45 AM | 5:30 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:21 PM | 11h 43m |
| November | 6:06 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:00 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:07 PM | 11h 15m |
| December | 6:23 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:19 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:11 PM | 11h 00m |
Local time (Pacific/Honolulu), 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 Kama‘ehuakanaloa Seamount, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 42° 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 | — | 5° | — |
| February | 4:06 AM – 5:26 AM | 1.3 | 26° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:14 AM – 5:14 AM | 3.0 | 39° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:14 AM – 4:44 AM | 4.5 | 42° | SE → S |
| May | 10:09 PM – 4:19 AM | 6.2 | 42° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:24 PM – 4:14 AM | 7.8 | 42° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:24 PM – 2:54 AM | 6.5 | 42° | SE → SW |
| August | 8:06 PM – 12:46 AM | 4.7 | 42° | S → SW |
| September | 7:38 PM – 10:48 PM | 3.2 | 39° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:12 PM – 8:52 PM | 1.7 | 28° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -17° | — |
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 ≈ 21.93 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 43% average cloud cover) and April as the cloudiest (57%). September 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 | 79 | 78 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 80 | 82 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 82 | 80 |
| Low °F | 70 | 70 | 70 | 71 | 73 | 74 | 74 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 73 | 68 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 4.1 | 5.4 | 2.9 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 3.5 | 4.5 |
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
- 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.
- Check local volcanic activity notices and area closures before visiting.
- 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 Kama‘ehuakanaloa Seamount?
What time is golden hour at Kama‘ehuakanaloa Seamount?
Where does the sun rise and set at Kama‘ehuakanaloa Seamount?
Can you see the Milky Way from Kama‘ehuakanaloa Seamount?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Kama‘ehuakanaloa Seamount?
How far is Kama‘ehuakanaloa Seamount from Pāhala?
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.