Located in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, Wellesley College Botanic Gardens is a botanical garden. It sits roughly 1.0 km (0.6 mi) W of Wellesley.
The Wellesley College Botanic Gardens are botanical gardens located on the campus of Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts. The greenhouses and 22 acres of outdoor gardens include thousands of plants representing over 1,500 different taxa from more than 150 different plant families.From the Wikipedia article “Wellesley College Botanic Gardens”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Wellesley College Botanic Gardens the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:49 AM | 90° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:09 AM | 57° ENE | 8:26 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 17m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:33 AM | 89° E | 6:44 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:12 AM | 122° ESE | 4:16 PM | 239° WSW | 24° | 9h 05m |
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 | 6:41 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 26m |
| February | 6:14 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:36 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:43 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:56 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 4:53 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:20 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 4:34 AM | 5:09 AM | 5:51 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:59 PM | 15h 15m |
| July | 4:49 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 59m |
| August | 5:23 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 5:58 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:03 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:25 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:33 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:06 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:19 AM | 3:43 PM | 4:25 PM | 4:55 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 6:36 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:53 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:14 PM | 4:46 PM | 9h 06m |
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 Wellesley College Botanic Gardens, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:25 AM – 5:15 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:17 AM – 4:17 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:27 AM – 3:17 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:37 PM – 2:47 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:27 PM – 1:27 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:35 PM – 11:25 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:32 PM – 9:22 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.26 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 51% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 64 | 65 | 75 | 86 | 89 | 93 | 98 | 100 | 97 | 86 | 72 | 67 |
| Low °F | -12 | -15 | -3 | 18 | 31 | 40 | 50 | 50 | 41 | 22 | 10 | -4 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 4.4 |
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
- 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.
- A macro lens or close-up filter opens a world of detail — try a shallow aperture against a soft background.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Wellesley College Botanic Gardens, closest first.
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
State Park
Lake
State Park
Botanical Garden
State Park
Lake
LakeFAQ
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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.