Lexington Cemetery is a botanical garden in Fayette County, Kentucky. It sits roughly 4.1 km (2.5 mi) NNW of Mount Vernon. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Lexington Cemetery is a private, non-profit 170-acre (69 ha) rural cemetery and arboretum located at 833 W. Main Street, Lexington, Kentucky. The Lexington Cemetery was established in 1848 as a place of beauty and a public cemetery, in part to deal with burials from the 1833 cholera epidemic in the area. What became Lexington National Cemetery was established in 1861 to inter American Civil War casualties. It was designed by Charles S. Bell and John Lutz. It was originally 40 acres but has expanded to 170 acres with more than 64,000 interments. Its plantings include boxwood, cherries, crabapples, dogwoods, magnolias, taxus, as well as flowers such as begonias, chrysanthemums, irises, jonquils, lantanas, lilies, and tulips. Also on the grounds is an American basswood (Tilia Americana), which the cemetery claims to be the largest in the world. However, this claim is not supported by...From the Wikipedia article “Lexington Cemetery”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lexington Cemetery the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:42 AM | 90° E | 7:50 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:16 AM | 59° ENE | 9:05 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 49m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:26 AM | 89° E | 7:37 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:51 AM | 120° ESE | 5:22 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 31m |
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 | 7:25 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:34 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:11 PM | 9h 49m |
| February | 7:02 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:44 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 7:24 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:25 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:12 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:36 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:59 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:06 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 14m |
| June | 5:44 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:35 PM | 14h 48m |
| July | 5:57 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:06 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:32 PM | 14h 33m |
| August | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:01 PM | 13h 39m |
| September | 6:54 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:55 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:14 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:21 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:23 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:52 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 08m |
| December | 7:18 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:29 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 32m |
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 Lexington Cemetery, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:35 AM – 5:55 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:43 AM – 6:13 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:47 AM – 5:27 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:47 AM – 4:37 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:58 PM – 4:18 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:52 PM – 2:52 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:11 PM – 12:51 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 9:17 PM – 10:47 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:29 PM – 8:49 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 18.46 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 47% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (72%). 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 | 69 | 73 | 81 | 85 | 94 | 103 | 107 | 103 | 101 | 96 | 82 | 71 |
| Low °F | -3 | -8 | 8 | 22 | 27 | 43 | 51 | 48 | 38 | 24 | 11 | -4 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.8 |
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
- 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 Lexington Cemetery, closest first.
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lexington Cemetery?
What time is golden hour at Lexington Cemetery?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lexington Cemetery?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lexington Cemetery?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lexington Cemetery?
How far is Lexington Cemetery from Mount Vernon?
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.