University of Illinois Arboretum — a botanical garden in Champaign County, Illinois — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Urbana, about 2.0 km (1.2 mi) away (University of Illinois Arboretum lies SSW of town).
The University of Illinois Arboretum (160 acres (65 ha)) is a new arboretum, with gardens, currently under construction on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus. The arboretum is located at the intersection of Florida and Lincoln Avenue, Urbana, Illinois, and open daily without charge. The arboretum has been constructed on the university's south campus farmlands. As of 2017, developed sections are as follows: Welcome Garden – an entrance and meeting place. Japan House – tea garden (2002), dry or Zen garden (2003). The house itself contains three tea rooms, and is otherwise used for classes and meetings; it is not generally open to the public. Hartley Garden (1994) – a 3-acre (12,000 m2) sunken garden with All American Selections trial ground and annual and perennial beddings. Idea Garden – six areas including borders, ornamentals, vegetables, children's, and Special...From the Wikipedia article “University of Illinois Arboretum”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At University of Illinois Arboretum the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:57 AM | 90° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:25 AM | 58° ENE | 8:26 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:12 AM | 121° ESE | 4:31 PM | 240° WSW | 26° | 9h 19m |
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 | 6:44 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 38m |
| February | 6:19 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:47 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:52 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:31 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:08 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 24m |
| June | 4:51 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:57 PM | 15h 00m |
| July | 5:05 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 45m |
| August | 5:36 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 6:07 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:31 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:37 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:42 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:10 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:19 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 59m |
| December | 6:38 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:52 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 20m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Illinois Arboretum, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:00 AM – 5:10 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:10 AM – 5:30 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:08 AM – 4:28 AM | 2.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:12 AM – 3:42 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:27 PM – 3:17 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:19 PM – 1:49 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:33 PM – 11:53 PM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:36 PM – 9:46 PM | 1.2 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:45 PM – 7:55 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.27 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 43% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (71%). 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 | 65 | 68 | 80 | 83 | 92 | 106 | 107 | 101 | 101 | 89 | 77 | 69 |
| Low °F | -24 | -16 | -9 | 20 | 28 | 40 | 49 | 46 | 37 | 19 | 9 | -13 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 2.6 | 2.4 |
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
- 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.
- Kaleidoscopic and abstract images are great for flower close-ups — try the online kaleidoscope tool.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Illinois Arboretum, closest first.
Covered BridgeBotanical Garden
Covered BridgeFAQ
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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.