Located in Hawaii County, Hawaii, Kīlauea is a volcano at about 1,094 m (3,589 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 6.0 km (3.7 mi) WSW of Volcano.
Kīlauea (US: KIL-ə-WAY-ə, Hawaiian: [kiːlɐwˈwɛjə]) is an active shield volcano in the Hawaiian Islands, located along the southeastern shore of Hawaii Island. The volcano is between 210,000 and 280,000 years old and grew above sea level about 100,000 years ago. Since the islands were settled, it has been the most active of the five volcanoes that together form the island and among the most active volcanoes on Earth. The most recent eruption of Kīlauea began in December 2024 inside Halemaʻumaʻu, a pit crater located within Kīlauea's summit caldera, with episodic lava fountains and flows currently continuing inside the crater into late 2026.From the Wikipedia article “Kīlauea”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kīlauea 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 245° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 86° in summer but only 47° 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) | 5:45 AM | 65° ENE | 7:03 PM | 295° WNW | 86° | 13h 18m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:11 AM | 89° E | 6:18 PM | 271° W | 71° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:51 AM | 115° ESE | 5:49 PM | 245° WSW | 47° | 10h 57m |
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 | 6:35 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:27 PM | 11h 05m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 31m |
| 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 | 6:33 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:02 PM | 12h 35m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:13 PM | 13h 03m |
| June | 5:19 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:26 PM | 13h 18m |
| July | 5:28 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:27 PM | 13h 11m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:33 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:13 PM | 12h 48m |
| 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 | 6:46 AM | 5:29 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:21 PM | 11h 43m |
| November | 6:07 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:01 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:06 PM | 11h 13m |
| December | 6:24 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:20 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 58m |
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 Kīlauea, 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| February | 4:06 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.5 | 27° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:14 AM – 5:14 AM | 3.0 | 38° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:14 AM – 4:44 AM | 4.5 | 42° | SE → S |
| May | 10:10 PM – 4:20 AM | 6.2 | 42° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:25 PM – 4:15 AM | 7.8 | 42° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:25 PM – 2:45 AM | 6.3 | 42° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:07 PM – 12:47 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.59 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show January as the clearest month (about 50% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 79 | 77 | 78 | 76 | 79 | 81 | 80 | 83 | 82 | 79 | 78 | 76 |
| Low °F | 50 | 46 | 48 | 52 | 53 | 55 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 53 | 50 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.6 | 6.6 | 8.6 | 7.7 | 5.4 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 5.4 | 4.8 | 5.3 | 6.7 | 6.6 |
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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Kīlauea, closest first.
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
VolcanoScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Kīlauea?
What time is golden hour at Kīlauea?
Where does the sun rise and set at Kīlauea?
Can you see the Milky Way from Kīlauea?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Kīlauea?
How far is Kīlauea from Volcano?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.