Jaybird Cave — a cave in Perry County, Tennessee — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Centerville, about 26 km (16 mi) away (Jaybird Cave lies W of town).
Jaybird Cave is a cave located in Perry County, Tennessee. The cave is located in a hollow near the Buffalo River northeast of Lobelville. The cave reportedly served as shelter for Henri DeLobel, the founder of Lobelville. There is archeological evidence of saltpeter mining in the cave. It is a roosting location for the endangered little brown bat. In 2013, white nose syndrome was detected in the cave.From the Wikipedia article “Jaybird Cave”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Jaybird Cave the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:56 AM | 90° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 60° ENE | 8:11 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 35m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:40 AM | 89° E | 6:49 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:58 AM | 119° ESE | 4:42 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 44m |
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
Caves are lit artificially — show caves have fixed lighting, so a fast lens and high ISO beat flash, which flattens formations.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:29 PM | 10h 00m |
| February | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:14 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:33 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 6:37 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:53 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:51 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:18 PM | 14h 03m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 34m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 21m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:08 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:26 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:32 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:42 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:01 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:12 PM | 10h 17m |
| December | 6:26 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 45m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Jaybird Cave, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:39 AM – 5:09 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:44 AM – 5:34 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:44 AM – 4:44 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:50 PM – 4:00 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:58 PM – 3:38 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:53 PM – 2:13 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:16 PM – 12:16 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:26 PM – 10:16 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:42 PM – 8:12 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.64 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (67%). 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 | 71 | 73 | 82 | 86 | 93 | 109 | 105 | 108 | 101 | 99 | 87 | 74 |
| Low °F | 2 | 2 | 3 | 21 | 35 | 50 | 53 | 51 | 39 | 28 | 12 | 5 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.1 | 5.6 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 5.1 |
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 cave
- Use manual focus with focus peaking in low light.
- Never touch formations — skin oils stop their growth.
- Follow White-nose Syndrome decontamination rules where posted to protect bats.
- Many show caves restrict tripods on tours; ask in advance or bring a small beanbag.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Cave interiors stay at a constant temperature year-round; summer tours fill up, so book ahead.
Suggested gear: Fast lens (f/1.8–f/2.8), High-ISO camera, Small beanbag. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Jaybird Cave, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Jaybird Cave?
What time is golden hour at Jaybird Cave?
Where does the sun rise and set at Jaybird Cave?
Can you see the Milky Way from Jaybird Cave?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Jaybird Cave?
How far is Jaybird Cave from Centerville?
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.