Machesney Park is a city of about 22,927 people in Winnebago County, Illinois, at 226 m (741 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:15 AM and sets at 6:08 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:29 PM – 6:25 PM. Below are monthly times, sun directions, the best photo locations within 80 km and the nearest dark skies.
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour by month
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:23 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 26m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 7:09 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:16 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:36 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 5:20 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:10 PM | 15h 16m |
| July | 5:33 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 59m |
| August | 6:04 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:37 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:09 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:48 AM | 7:30 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 7:19 AM | 8:05 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:25 PM | 4:57 PM | 9h 06m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Machesney Park
At Machesney Park 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 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
Best photo spots near Machesney Park
25 photo locations lie within 80 km of Machesney Park. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
State Park
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State ParkLakes
Botanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenCovered Bridges
National Wildlife Refuges
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Machesney Park is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Bussey Lake, about 177 km (110 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 5.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bussey Lake | Lake | 177 km (110 mi) | 2 |
| Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 179 km (111 mi) | 2 |
| Elkport | Ghost Town | 188 km (117 mi) | 2 |
| Fordham | Ghost Town | 190 km (118 mi) | 2 |
| Buckhorn State Park | State Park | 194 km (120 mi) | 2 |
| Roche-a-Cri State Park | State Park | 195 km (121 mi) | 2 |
| Wildcat Mountain State Park | State Park | 195 km (121 mi) | 2 |
| Littleport | Ghost Town | 196 km (122 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:36 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.8 | 15° |
| April | 2:29 AM – 4:29 AM | 2.0 | 18° |
| May | 12:38 AM – 3:28 AM | 2.8 | 19° |
| June | 10:48 PM – 2:58 AM | 4.2 | 19° |
| July | 10:38 PM – 1:38 AM | 3.0 | 19° |
| August | 9:46 PM – 11:36 PM | 1.8 | 18° |
| September | 8:43 PM – 9:33 PM | 0.8 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 47% 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.