Located in Hawaii County, Hawaii, University of Hawaii at Hilo Botanical Gardens is a botanical garden. It sits roughly 3.5 km (2.2 mi) SSE of Hilo.
The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Botanical Gardens are botanical gardens on the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo campus, located at 485 W Lanikaula St, Hilo, Hawaiʻi on the island of Hawaiʻi. They are open daily without charge. The gardens were established by UH-Hilo professor Don Hemmes at some time in the 1980s, after a student said that they had never seen a pine tree before. The gardens contain one of Hawaiʻi's best cycad collections, with 126 species from Africa, China, North and Central America, and Australia. It also contains an international collection of palm trees, and all five 5 species of Big Island Pritchardia. Since the gardens are located in a windward area of the university campus, they get a substantial amount of rain.From the Wikipedia article “University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Botanical Gardens”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At University of Hawaii at Hilo Botanical Gardens the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 65° (ENE) at the June solstice and 115° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 295° (WNW) in June to 245° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 86° in summer but only 47° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:25 AM | 90° E | 6:32 PM | 270° W | 70° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:43 AM | 65° ENE | 7:03 PM | 295° WNW | 86° | 13h 19m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:10 AM | 89° E | 6:18 PM | 271° W | 71° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:51 AM | 115° ESE | 5:47 PM | 245° WSW | 47° | 10h 56m |
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 | 6:35 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:26 PM | 11h 04m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 31m |
| March | 6:07 AM | 6:29 AM | 6:58 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:53 PM | 12h 01m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:32 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:01 PM | 12h 36m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:13 PM | 13h 04m |
| June | 5:18 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:26 PM | 13h 19m |
| July | 5:27 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:27 PM | 13h 12m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:32 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:13 PM | 12h 48m |
| September | 5:47 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:38 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:46 PM | 12h 15m |
| October | 5:53 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:45 AM | 5:28 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:20 PM | 11h 42m |
| November | 6:07 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:01 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:05 PM | 11h 12m |
| December | 6:24 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:20 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 57m |
Local time (Pacific/Honolulu), 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 University of Hawaii at Hilo Botanical Gardens, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 41° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright 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 | — | 6° | — |
| February | 4:04 AM – 5:34 AM | 1.5 | 27° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:13 AM – 5:13 AM | 3.0 | 38° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:14 AM – 4:44 AM | 4.5 | 41° | SE → S |
| May | 10:09 PM – 4:19 AM | 6.2 | 41° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:25 PM – 4:15 AM | 7.8 | 41° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:25 PM – 2:45 AM | 6.3 | 41° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:07 PM – 12:47 AM | 4.7 | 41° | S → SW |
| September | 7:37 PM – 10:47 PM | 3.2 | 38° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:11 PM – 8:51 PM | 1.7 | 27° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.08 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show January as the clearest month (about 50% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (62%). August 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 | 79 | 77 | 78 | 76 | 79 | 81 | 80 | 83 | 82 | 79 | 78 | 76 |
| Low °F | 50 | 46 | 48 | 52 | 53 | 55 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 53 | 50 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.6 | 6.6 | 8.6 | 7.7 | 5.4 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 5.4 | 4.8 | 5.3 | 6.7 | 6.6 |
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.
- 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 University of Hawaii at Hilo Botanical Gardens, closest first.
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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.