Located in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Scott Arboretum is a botanical garden.
Scott Arboretum is a 357 acres (144 ha) arboretum coterminous with the campus of and operated by Swarthmore College. It is open to the public daily without charge. The arboretum was established and endowed by the Scott family in 1929 in honor of Arthur Hoyt Scott (class of 1895, inventor of the paper towel), "for the purpose of enabling Swarthmore College to acquire, cultivate and propagate the better kinds of living trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants which are hardy in the climate of eastern Pennsylvania and which are suitable for planting by the average gardener." Today the arboretum contains over 4,000 kinds of ornamental plants, labeled with scientific and common names, and grouped in collections for ready comparison. It is "celebrated for its horticultural excellence and display" and "grants Swarthmore’s 1,500 students an academic life immersed in the plant kingdom, although...From the Wikipedia article “Scott Arboretum”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Scott 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 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:06 AM | 90° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 58° ENE | 8:34 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 15h 00m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:50 AM | 89° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 121° ESE | 4:40 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 20m |
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 | 6:52 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 39m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:35 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 23m |
| June | 5:00 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 59m |
| July | 5:14 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 44m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:39 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:51 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 00m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 21m |
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 Scott 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 | 5:08 AM – 5:18 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:18 AM – 5:38 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:16 AM – 4:36 AM | 2.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:20 AM – 3:50 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:35 PM – 3:25 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:27 PM – 1:57 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 12:01 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 9:54 PM | 1.2 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:53 PM – 8:03 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 ≈ 18.2 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 50% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (63%). 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 | 67 | 72 | 77 | 91 | 90 | 97 | 102 | 100 | 96 | 95 | 76 | 70 |
| Low °F | 0 | -1 | -3 | 25 | 35 | 46 | 55 | 54 | 43 | 30 | 21 | 10 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 3.9 |
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 Scott Arboretum, closest first.
Botanical Garden
National Wildlife Refuge
Botanical Garden
State Park
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Covered Bridge
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Scott Arboretum?
What time is golden hour at Scott Arboretum?
Where does the sun rise and set at Scott Arboretum?
Can you see the Milky Way from Scott Arboretum?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Scott Arboretum?
How far is Scott Arboretum from Swarthmore?
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.