Earl L. Core Arboretum — a botanical garden in Monongalia County, West Virginia — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 800 m E of Granville.
The Core Arboretum is a 91-acre (37 ha) arboretum owned by West Virginia University and located on Monongahela Boulevard in Morgantown, West Virginia. It is open to the public daily without charge. The Arboretum's history began in 1948 when the university acquired its site. Professor Earl Lemley Core (1902-1984), chairman of the Biology Department, then convinced President Irvin Stewart to set the property aside for the study of biology and botany. In 1975 the Arboretum was named in Core's honor. The Arboretum is now managed by the WVU Department of Biology, and consists of mostly old-growth forest on steep hillside and Monongahela River flood plain. It includes densely wooded areas with 3.5 miles (5.6 km) of walking trails, as well as 3 acres (12,000 m2) of lawn planted with specimen trees.From the Wikipedia article “Core Arboretum”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Earl L. Core Arboretum the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (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) | 7:24 AM | 90° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:53 AM | 58° ENE | 8:52 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 59m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:08 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 120° ESE | 5:00 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 22m |
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 | 7:10 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:21 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 40m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:24 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 7:06 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:54 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:15 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:36 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 21m |
| June | 5:20 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:33 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:23 PM | 14h 58m |
| July | 5:34 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 42m |
| August | 6:04 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 45m |
| September | 6:35 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:06 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:09 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 01m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 23m |
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 Earl L. Core 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 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:27 AM – 5:37 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:37 AM – 5:57 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:34 AM – 5:04 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:38 AM – 4:08 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:52 PM – 3:42 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:44 PM – 2:24 AM | 3.7 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:59 PM – 12:19 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 9:02 PM – 10:22 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:12 PM – 8:22 PM | 0.2 | 12° | 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: 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 ≈ 18.89 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 54% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 66 | 70 | 77 | 85 | 87 | 90 | 97 | 94 | 93 | 89 | 74 | 72 |
| Low °F | -10 | -7 | -8 | 19 | 23 | 36 | 45 | 44 | 34 | 20 | 6 | 2 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 3.4 |
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
- 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.
- Backlit petals glow; position yourself so the sun is behind the flower.
- 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 Earl L. Core Arboretum, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Botanical Garden
State Park
Canyon
State Park
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
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.