New Silver Beach is a beach in Barnstable County, Massachusetts. The nearest town is North Falmouth, about 1.9 km (1.2 mi) away (New Silver Beach lies WSW of town).
New Silver Beach is a beach and village of the same name. It is primarily a summer colony and is the largest settlement at Wild Harbor, a natural bay on the north shore of Buzzards Bay. It is located on Massachusetts's famous Cape Cod in the census-designated place (CDP) of North Falmouth, in the town of Falmouth, Massachusetts. The area was first settled in 1893 as a seasonal seaside resort for the growing upper middle class of Boston, Massachusetts.From the Wikipedia article “New Silver Beach”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At New Silver Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:47 AM | 90° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:09 AM | 57° ENE | 8:21 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:31 AM | 89° E | 6:42 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:07 AM | 121° ESE | 4:16 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 09m |
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 | 6:37 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:51 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 30m |
| February | 6:11 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:18 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 6:28 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:35 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:52 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 4:52 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 32m |
| June | 4:34 AM | 5:08 AM | 5:51 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:53 PM | 15h 11m |
| July | 4:49 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 54m |
| August | 5:22 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 5:56 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:22 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:27 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:31 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:03 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:14 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:54 PM | 9h 51m |
| December | 6:32 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:48 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:14 PM | 4:45 PM | 9h 11m |
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 New Silver Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 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 5 (suburban 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 | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:12 AM – 5:12 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:14 AM – 4:14 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:22 AM – 3:22 AM | 3.0 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:31 PM – 2:51 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:21 PM – 1:31 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 9:31 PM – 11:31 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:29 PM – 9:29 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.96 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 50% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (69%). August 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 | 56 | 54 | 62 | 72 | 76 | 87 | 89 | 86 | 81 | 76 | 67 | 63 |
| Low °F | 2 | 1 | 13 | 29 | 39 | 49 | 58 | 60 | 51 | 38 | 22 | 12 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 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 Chappaquoit Point, West Falmouth Harbor, 4.1 km (2.5 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of New Silver Beach, closest first.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Mountain Peak
Scenic Viewpoint
Lighthouse
National Wildlife Refuge
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph New Silver Beach?
What time is golden hour at New Silver Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at New Silver Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from New Silver Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at New Silver Beach?
How far is New Silver Beach from North Falmouth?
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.