Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden — a botanical garden in Los Angeles County, California — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 3.2 km (2.0 mi) W of Rossmoor.
The Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden is a Japanese garden encompassing 1.3 acres (0.53 ha) on the campus of California State University, Long Beach, in Long Beach, California, United States. It was dedicated in 1981. Ed Lovell, landscape master plan architect for the university, traveled to Japan and took inspiration from the Imperial Gardens in Tokyo before designing the garden. Among the annual events held at the Japanese garden is a Koi auction and a chrysanthemum show. It is adjacent to the village site of Puvunga. In the trenching for the garden, evidence of the ancient Tongva village was uncovered in the early 1970s. The garden is closed on Saturdays (when it is often rented out for weddings and receptions) and Mondays.From the Wikipedia article “Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:57 AM | 90° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:43 AM | 61° ENE | 8:07 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:54 AM | 118° ESE | 4:48 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 54m |
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
Gardens are best on bright overcast days or early mornings when dew is fresh and the wind is calm.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:34 PM | 10h 09m |
| February | 6:12 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 6:39 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:56 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:49 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:25 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 55m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 23m |
| July | 5:25 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 11m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 25m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:26 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:33 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 5:59 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:02 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:17 PM | 10h 25m |
| December | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 55m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 8 (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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:31 AM – 5:11 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:33 AM – 5:33 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:41 AM – 4:51 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:43 PM – 4:13 AM | 4.5 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:49 PM – 3:49 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:45 PM – 2:25 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:11 PM – 12:21 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:24 PM – 10:24 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:42 PM – 8:22 PM | 0.7 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.1 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 48% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (68%). September 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 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 78 | 76 | 77 | 80 | 76 | 84 | 87 | 78 | 74 |
| Low °F | 49 | 49 | 48 | 49 | 53 | 54 | 57 | 58 | 58 | 57 | 52 | 49 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.4 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 2.6 |
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 botanical garden
- Seasonal exhibits (orchids, tulips, cherry blossoms) draw crowds — arrive at opening.
- Kaleidoscopic and abstract images are great for flower close-ups — try the online kaleidoscope tool.
- A macro lens or close-up filter opens a world of detail — try a shallow aperture against a soft background.
- Many gardens restrict tripods or charge for photography; check the rules before you go.
- Backlit petals glow; position yourself so the sun is behind the flower.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Spring bulbs and blossoms, summer perennials and autumn color; glasshouses offer winter subjects.
Suggested gear: Macro lens, Diffuser, Small reflector. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
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State Park
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BeachFAQ
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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.