Located in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, Carson Beach, South Boston is a beach. It sits roughly 800 m S of South Boston.
Carson Beach is a public beach in South Boston, Massachusetts. It has also been known as L Street Beach. It is maintained by the state's Department of Conservation and Recreation. The beach is a part of a three-mile segment of parks along the South Boston shoreline. The closest subway stop is the JFK/UMass station on the Red Line, approximately a half-mile away. In the mid-1990s, the beach's water quality was deemed unsafe due to sewage matter and other biological debris, and the beach had to be shut down. As of 2019, the water is usually approved for swimming. The beach was named after the winner of a city-sponsored swimming contest between the nearby Mosely and Carson Street Swim Clubs in Dorchester.From the Wikipedia article “Carson Beach, South Boston”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Carson Beach, South Boston the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:48 AM | 90° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:08 AM | 57° ENE | 8:25 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 17m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:32 AM | 89° E | 6:43 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:11 AM | 122° ESE | 4:15 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 05m |
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
Beaches facing east suit sunrise and west-facing beaches suit sunset; wet sand mirrors the sky color during golden hour.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:40 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:55 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 26m |
| February | 6:13 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:35 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:42 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:55 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 4:52 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 4:33 AM | 5:08 AM | 5:50 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:58 PM | 15h 16m |
| July | 4:48 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 59m |
| August | 5:22 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 5:57 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:02 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:24 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:32 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:05 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:18 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:54 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 6:35 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:52 AM | 3:28 PM | 4:13 PM | 4:45 PM | 9h 06m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Carson Beach, South Boston, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 9 (inner-city sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:24 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:16 AM – 4:16 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:26 AM – 3:16 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:36 PM – 2:46 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:26 PM – 1:26 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:34 PM – 11:24 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:31 PM – 9:21 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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: 9 Bortle 9 — Inner-city sky. Only the Moon, planets and a few bright stars are visible. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 17.74 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 September as the clearest month (about 51% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (64%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 64 | 65 | 75 | 86 | 89 | 93 | 98 | 100 | 97 | 86 | 72 | 67 |
| Low °F | -12 | -15 | -3 | 18 | 31 | 40 | 50 | 50 | 41 | 22 | 10 | -4 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 4.4 |
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 beach
- Slow shutter speeds (0.5–2 s) turn receding waves into streaks that lead toward the horizon.
- Watch for sneaker waves; never turn your back on the ocean on exposed coasts.
- Salt spray coats lenses quickly; wipe often and rinse gear afterward.
- Fog and marine layers can make minimalist images; don't give up on grey days.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Winter storms bring dramatic surf on Pacific coasts; summer and autumn sunsets are popular on Atlantic and Gulf beaches.
Suggested gear: Tripod, ND filters, Rain cover, Lens cloths. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is BOSTON, 3.1 km (1.9 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Carson Beach, South Boston, closest first.
Beach
State Park
Botanical Garden
State Park
State Park
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
State ParkBeachFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Carson Beach, South Boston?
What time is golden hour at Carson Beach, South Boston?
Where does the sun rise and set at Carson Beach, South Boston?
Can you see the Milky Way from Carson Beach, South Boston?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Carson Beach, South Boston?
How far is Carson Beach, South Boston from South Boston?
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.