Located in Penobscot County, Maine, Fay Hyland Botanical Plantation is a botanical garden. It sits roughly 1.4 km (0.9 mi) N of Orono.
The Fay Hyland Botanical Plantation (also known as the Fay Hyland Arboretum), 10 acres (40,000 m2), is an arboretum and botanical garden located along the Stillwater River on the University of Maine campus in Orono, Maine, United States. It is open to the public daily. The Arboretum was established in 1934, named in honor of Fay Hyland, and contains living examples of woody plants from Maine and throughout the world.From the Wikipedia article “Fay Hyland Botanical Garden”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Fay Hyland Botanical Plantation the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:39 AM | 90° E | 6:47 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:49 AM | 55° NE | 8:25 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:22 AM | 89° E | 6:34 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:10 AM | 123° ESE | 3:57 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 47m |
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 | 6:37 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:33 PM | 4:20 PM | 4:52 PM | 9h 10m |
| February | 6:06 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:18 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 26m |
| March | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:10 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:20 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:30 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:50 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 4:33 AM | 5:07 AM | 5:49 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 50m |
| June | 4:11 AM | 4:49 AM | 5:34 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:23 PM | 9:01 PM | 15h 35m |
| July | 4:27 AM | 5:03 AM | 5:47 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:55 PM | 15h 16m |
| August | 5:05 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:15 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 5:45 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:53 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:17 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:21 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:21 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:01 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:17 AM | 3:23 PM | 4:08 PM | 4:39 PM | 9h 35m |
| December | 6:33 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:55 AM | 3:06 PM | 3:55 PM | 4:29 PM | 8h 48m |
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 Fay Hyland Botanical Plantation, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 4:39 AM – 4:59 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:38 AM – 3:58 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:36 AM – 2:56 AM | 2.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:57 PM – 2:07 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:41 PM – 12:51 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:38 PM – 10:58 PM | 1.3 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:29 PM – 8:49 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.71 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ 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 53% average cloud cover) and December 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 | 53 | 51 | 72 | 73 | 81 | 88 | 89 | 93 | 94 | 79 | 64 | 60 |
| Low °F | -19 | -19 | -13 | 15 | 29 | 38 | 49 | 47 | 36 | 24 | 6 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 5.4 | 4.7 | 4.7 |
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 Fay Hyland Botanical Plantation, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
National Wildlife Refuge
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.