Located in Brunswick County, North Carolina, Orton Plantation is a botanical garden. It sits roughly 5.1 km (3.2 mi) W of Sea Breeze. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Orton Plantation is a historic plantation house in Smithville Township in Brunswick County, North Carolina, United States. Located beside the Cape Fear River between Wilmington and Southport, Orton Plantation is considered to be a near-perfect example of Southern antebellum architecture. Built in 1735 by the co-founder of Brunswick Town, Colonel Maurice Moore, the Orton Plantation house is one of the oldest structures in Brunswick County. During its history Orton Plantation has been attacked by Native Americans, used as a military hospital, and been home to lawyers, physicians, military leaders, and a Colonial governor. On April 11, 1973, the Orton Plantation was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The Orton Plantation Gardens and family-owned chapel were open to the public until 2010, when the plantation was sold to Louis Moore Bacon, a direct decedent of the...From the Wikipedia article “Orton Plantation”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Orton Plantation the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:16 AM | 90° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:02 AM | 61° ENE | 8:27 PM | 299° WNW | 79° | 14h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:14 AM | 118° ESE | 5:07 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 53m |
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 | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 08m |
| February | 6:32 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:22 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 6:58 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:16 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:44 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 5:32 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 25m |
| July | 5:44 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 13m |
| August | 6:08 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:31 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:04 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:36 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 54m |
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 Orton Plantation, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:50 AM – 5:30 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:03 AM – 5:53 AM | 1.8 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:01 AM – 5:11 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 12:04 AM – 4:24 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:10 PM – 4:10 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:06 PM – 2:46 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:32 PM – 12:42 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 10:45 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:02 PM – 8:42 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.6 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show April as the clearest month (about 53% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 73 | 73 | 78 | 87 | 92 | 94 | 97 | 95 | 92 | 90 | 80 | 75 |
| Low °F | 17 | 17 | 26 | 37 | 47 | 60 | 67 | 64 | 56 | 42 | 30 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 5.4 | 6.0 | 7.1 | 7.4 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 4.1 |
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.
- 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 Orton Plantation, closest first.
State Park
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Beach
Lighthouse
LighthouseBeach
LighthouseBeachFAQ
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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.