Located in Palm Beach County, Florida, Roji-en Japanese Gardens is a botanical garden. The nearest town is Kings Point, about 2.1 km (1.3 mi) away (Roji-en Japanese Gardens lies SSW of town).
The Roji-en: Garden of the Drops of Dew, The George D. and Harriet W. Cornell Japanese Gardens consists of six gardens representing different periods in the development of the Japanese garden. It occupies 16 acres (6.5 hectares) of the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Morikami Park in suburban Delray Beach, Florida, US. The gardens are open to the public, but closed Mondays and major holidays. Access to the gardens is included in the admission fee to the museum. Today's gardens form one of the largest Japanese gardens in the world. They were designed by Hoichi Kurisu and constructed between 1999 and 2001 in Morikami Park, a 200-acre (80 hectare) site donated by George Morikami to Palm Beach County and Florida in 1973. The Roji-en gardens are part of the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, reported to be the only museum in the United States dedicated to the living culture of...From the Wikipedia article “Roji-en Japanese Gardens”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Roji-en Japanese Gardens the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 63° (ENE) at the June solstice and 116° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 297° (WNW) in June to 244° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 87° in summer but only 40° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:25 AM | 90° E | 7:32 PM | 270° W | 63° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:29 AM | 63° ENE | 8:17 PM | 297° WNW | 87° | 13h 48m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 64° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:05 AM | 116° ESE | 5:34 PM | 244° WSW | 40° | 10h 29m |
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 | 6:46 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 40m |
| February | 6:34 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:38 PM | 11h 16m |
| March | 7:08 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 59m |
| April | 6:34 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:29 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:08 PM | 12h 47m |
| May | 6:10 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 26m |
| June | 6:02 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:42 PM | 13h 47m |
| July | 6:12 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:42 PM | 13h 39m |
| August | 6:29 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:27 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 05m |
| September | 6:44 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 19m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 33m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:13 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:32 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 51m |
| December | 6:36 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 30m |
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 Roji-en Japanese Gardens, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 35° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:22 AM – 5:32 AM | 1.2 | 21° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:37 AM – 6:07 AM | 2.5 | 31° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:35 AM – 5:35 AM | 4.0 | 35° | SE → S |
| May | 11:38 PM – 5:08 AM | 5.5 | 35° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:47 PM – 4:57 AM | 7.2 | 35° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:46 PM – 3:26 AM | 5.7 | 35° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:21 PM – 1:21 AM | 4.0 | 35° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 11:25 PM | 2.7 | 32° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:11 PM – 9:21 PM | 1.2 | 22° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -17° | — |
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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.87 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 85 | 87 | 94 | 95 | 98 | 98 | 96 | 94 | 92 | 90 | 89 | 86 |
| Low °F | 28 | 33 | 36 | 49 | 57 | 69 | 73 | 73 | 67 | 46 | 42 | 31 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 4.4 | 7.8 | 6.7 | 7.2 | 6.7 | 3.5 | 1.8 | 1.8 |
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.
- Seasonal exhibits (orchids, tulips, cherry blossoms) draw crowds — arrive at opening.
- 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 Roji-en Japanese Gardens, closest first.
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Covered Bridge
Lighthouse
National Wildlife RefugeFAQ
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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.