Located in Orange County, California, Sherman Library and Gardens is a botanical garden. The nearest town is San Joaquin Hills, about 3.5 km (2.2 mi) away (Sherman Library and Gardens lies WSW of town).
The Sherman Library and Gardens are botanical gardens in Corona del Mar, California. The gardens are open to the public daily except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. An admission fee is charged. Today's garden began in 1955 when Arnold D. Haskell bought the Norman's Nursery property. Haskell named the Library and Gardens after his mentor and benefactor M. H. Sherman. The gardens include patios and conservatories, seasonal flower beds, and fountains. Collections range from desert plants to tropical vegetation. The Succulent Garden includes a California pepper tree. A tropical conservatory at the site features orchids, heliconias, and gingers. The Fern Grotto exhibits mature staghorn ferns, and the Herb Garden shows a variety of herbs, including chocolate and orange-mint, tri-color and society garlic.From the Wikipedia article “Sherman Library and Gardens”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sherman Library and Gardens 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) | 6:56 AM | 90° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:43 AM | 61° ENE | 8:06 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 23m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:40 AM | 89° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:53 AM | 118° ESE | 4:48 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 55m |
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 | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:34 PM | 10h 10m |
| February | 6:11 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:11 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:02 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:48 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 54m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 22m |
| July | 5:25 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 10m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 25m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:27 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:24 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:32 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 5:58 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 26m |
| December | 6:22 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 56m |
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 Sherman Library and Gardens, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:30 AM – 5:10 AM | 0.7 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:32 AM – 5:32 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:29 AM – 4:49 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:31 PM – 4:11 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:46 PM – 3:56 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:42 PM – 2:32 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:09 PM – 12:29 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:23 PM – 10:23 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:41 PM – 8:21 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 ≈ 18.28 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 28% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (43%). August is the warmest month and December 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 | 85 | 85 | 87 | 93 | 95 | 97 | 100 | 98 | 102 | 101 | 91 | 82 |
| Low °F | 35 | 38 | 40 | 42 | 47 | 49 | 56 | 55 | 55 | 48 | 38 | 38 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.9 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 2.3 |
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
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Sherman Library and Gardens, closest first.
State Park
Lighthouse
Natural Arch
State ParkNatural Arch
Canyon
Botanical Garden
Canyon
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sherman Library and Gardens?
What time is golden hour at Sherman Library and Gardens?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sherman Library and Gardens?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sherman Library and Gardens?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sherman Library and Gardens?
How far is Sherman Library and Gardens from San Joaquin Hills?
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.