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Qibla direction in Alamogordo

35.84° from true north · north-east · 12,967 km to the Kaaba

In short

The qibla from Alamogordo is 35.84° from true north, towards the north-east. Simply face north and turn 36° to the right. The Kaaba is about 12,967 km away. Twice a year the sun is directly above the Kaaba. It is down or too low here then, so the shadow method does not work.

Updated
Method
Great circle
Source
MuslimSuite calculation
N E S W

35.84°

Gold arc = 36° from north to the qibla

Three ways to face the qibla from Alamogordo

  1. 1. Phone compass

    Open a compass app, move the phone in a figure of 8 to calibrate, keep it away from metal, then turn until the compass reads 36°.

  2. 2. Start from north

    Face north, then turn 36° to the right. A right angle is 90°, so 36° is about a third of a right angle.

  3. 3. The sun's shadow

    Twice a year the sun is directly above the Kaaba. At that moment the shadow of any upright object points directly away from the qibla.

    Sun over the Kaaba, 2027

    • · 3:18 AM MDT (the sun is down or too low in this city)
    • · 3:27 AM MDT (the sun is down or too low in this city)

Keeping the compass accurate

  • Remove magnetic cases and keep the phone away from laptops, speakers and steel frames.
  • Hold the phone flat. A compass points to magnetic north, while the degrees on this page are measured from true north, so the reading can differ slightly.
  • Compare with the direction of the rows in a nearby mosque.

Qibla direction in nearby cities

CityDistance from AlamogordoQibla
Las Cruces 101 km 35.3°
Sunland Park 136 km 35.6°
El Paso 136 km 35.7°
Horizon City 136 km 36.0°
Socorro 142 km 35.9°
Socorro Mission Number 1 Colonia 144 km 35.9°
Roswell 145 km 37.0°

Around Alamogordo the qibla is almost the same: it differs by 1.1° at most.

Frequently asked questions

What is the qibla direction from Alamogordo in degrees?

35.84° from true north, measured clockwise — towards the north-east.

How can I find the qibla without a compass?

Face north and turn 36° to the right. Twice a year the sun is directly above the Kaaba. It is down or too low here then, so the shadow method does not work.

When is the sun over the Kaaba in 2027, in Alamogordo time?

28 May 2027 at 3:18 AM MDT (the sun is down or too low in this city) and 16 July 2027 at 3:27 AM MDT (the sun is down or too low in this city).

What is the difference between true north and compass north?

True north points to the geographic North Pole. A compass needle points to the magnetic pole, which is in a slightly different place, so a compass reading can differ from the degrees on this page.

Do I need to share my location to see the qibla?

No. The qibla on this page is calculated from the coordinates of the center of Alamogordo, so you only need to pick a city.

Sources & method

  • Kaaba coordinates · 21.4225° N, 39.8262° E

  • Alamogordo coordinates · 32.8995; −105.9603 (city center) · GeoNames (geonames.org), CC BY 4.0

  • Formula · Great-circle azimuth from true north