Located in Beaufort County, North Carolina, Island View Shores is a beach. It sits roughly 14.9 km (9.3 mi) SSW of Belhaven.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Island View Shores the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:53 AM | 60° ENE | 8:26 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 33m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:13 AM | 119° ESE | 4:58 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 46m |
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 | 6:48 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 02m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 55m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:09 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 5:35 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 02m |
| June | 5:22 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 32m |
| July | 5:34 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 19m |
| August | 6:00 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 6:25 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:48 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:33 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:20 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:29 PM | 10h 19m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 47m |
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 Island View Shores, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:55 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:00 AM – 5:50 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:00 AM – 5:00 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:05 AM – 4:15 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:13 PM – 4:03 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:08 PM – 2:38 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:31 PM – 12:31 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 10:32 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:58 PM – 8:28 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.71 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (57%). 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 | 70 | 71 | 75 | 81 | 93 | 96 | 97 | 96 | 91 | 89 | 79 | 74 |
| Low °F | 14 | 16 | 25 | 36 | 46 | 59 | 66 | 63 | 56 | 41 | 30 | 23 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 5.9 | 6.5 | 6.6 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.9 |
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
- 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.
- Time visits around low tide to reveal tide pools, sea stacks and reflective sand — check the tide widget below.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Pungo River, Route 45, NC, 27 km (17 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Island View Shores, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Island View Shores?
What time is golden hour at Island View Shores?
Where does the sun rise and set at Island View Shores?
Can you see the Milky Way from Island View Shores?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Island View Shores?
How far is Island View Shores from Belhaven?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.