Puʻu ʻŌʻō — a volcano in Hawaii County, Hawaii — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 9.4 km (5.8 mi) SSE of Fern Forest.
Puʻu ʻŌʻō (also spelled Pu‘u‘ō‘ō, and often written Puu Oo, pronounced [ˈpuʔu ˈʔoːʔoː], poo-oo-OH-oh) is a volcanic cone on the eastern rift zone of Kīlauea volcano in the Hawaiian Islands. The eruption that created Puʻu ʻŌʻō began on January 3, 1983, and continued nearly continuously until April 30, 2018, making it the longest-lived rift-zone eruption of the last two centuries. By January 2005, 2.7 cubic kilometers (0.65 mi3) of magma covered an area of more than 117 square kilometers (45 mi2) and added 230 acres (0.93 km2) of land to the southeast coast of Hawaiʻi. The eruption claimed at least 189 buildings and 14 kilometers (8.7 mi) of highways, as well as a church, a store, the Wahaʻula Visitor Center, and many ancient Hawaiian sites, including the Wahaʻula heiau. The coastal highway has been closed since 1987, as parts of the road have been buried under lava up to 35 meters...From the Wikipedia article “Puʻu ʻŌʻō”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Puʻu ʻŌʻō 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) | 6:25 AM | 90° E | 6:32 PM | 270° W | 71° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:44 AM | 65° ENE | 7:02 PM | 295° WNW | 86° | 13h 18m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:10 AM | 89° E | 6:18 PM | 271° W | 71° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:51 AM | 115° ESE | 5:48 PM | 245° WSW | 47° | 10h 58m |
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 | 5:32 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:27 PM | 11h 05m |
| February | 6:27 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 31m |
| March | 6:08 AM | 6:29 AM | 6:58 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:53 PM | 12h 01m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:33 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:01 PM | 12h 35m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:13 PM | 13h 03m |
| June | 5:19 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:25 PM | 13h 18m |
| July | 5:27 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:27 PM | 13h 11m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:32 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:12 PM | 12h 47m |
| September | 5:47 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:38 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:46 PM | 12h 15m |
| October | 5:53 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:45 AM | 5:29 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:20 PM | 11h 43m |
| November | 6:06 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:00 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:06 PM | 11h 13m |
| December | 6:24 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:20 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:09 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 Puʻu ʻŌʻō, 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| February | 4:05 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.5 | 27° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:13 AM – 5:13 AM | 3.0 | 38° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:13 AM – 4:43 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 – 2:44 AM | 6.3 | 42° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:06 PM – 12:46 AM | 4.7 | 42° | S → SW |
| September | 7:37 PM – 10:47 PM | 3.2 | 39° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:11 PM – 8:51 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.75 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
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Puʻu ʻŌʻō, closest first.
Volcano
Scenic Viewpoint
Natural ArchScenic Viewpoint
VolcanoScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Puʻu ʻŌʻō?
What time is golden hour at Puʻu ʻŌʻō?
Where does the sun rise and set at Puʻu ʻŌʻō?
Can you see the Milky Way from Puʻu ʻŌʻō?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Puʻu ʻŌʻō?
How far is Puʻu ʻŌʻō from Fern Forest?
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.