Credit — a ghost town in Craighead County, Arkansas at about 73 m (240 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 17.4 km (10.8 mi) E of Tuckerman.
Credit is an extinct town in Craighead County, Arkansas, United States. Credit got its start in the 1890s when the railroad was extended to that point. The community's name may have been a play on words with nearby Cash, Arkansas. A post office called Credit was established in 1896, and remained in operation until 1902.From the Wikipedia article “Credit, Arkansas”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Credit 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) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:49 AM | 60° ENE | 8:24 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 35m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:11 AM | 119° ESE | 4:55 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
Weathered wood and rusted metal show texture best in low-angle light; overcast skies suit interiors and moody black-and-white work.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:46 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 00m |
| February | 6:26 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:27 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:06 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 5:31 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 03m |
| June | 5:18 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 34m |
| July | 5:31 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 21m |
| August | 5:57 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 31m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:39 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:56 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:18 AM | 4:21 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:25 PM | 10h 17m |
| December | 6:39 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:21 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 Credit, 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 | 4:52 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:57 AM – 5:47 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:57 AM – 4:57 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:03 AM – 4:13 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:11 PM – 3:51 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:06 PM – 2:26 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:29 PM – 12:29 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:39 PM – 10:29 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:55 PM – 8:25 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 ≈ 21.6 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 75 | 78 | 84 | 92 | 92 | 104 | 107 | 109 | 100 | 94 | 85 | 77 |
| Low °F | 6 | 8 | 9 | 23 | 35 | 53 | 58 | 53 | 43 | 28 | 18 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 5.1 | 5.4 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.8 |
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 ghost town
- Look for details: door hinges, faded signs, square nails and window frames tell the story.
- Leave everything as you found it; removing artifacts from public land is illegal.
- Respect private property and closures: many ghost towns are on private land or protected historic sites — never enter unstable buildings.
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: High-elevation mining towns are reachable mostly from June to October; desert ghost towns are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Wide-angle lens, Tripod, Headlamp, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Private property: Many ghost towns sit on private land or protected historic sites. Respect signs, never enter unstable buildings and leave artifacts in place.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Credit?
What time is golden hour at Credit?
Where does the sun rise and set at Credit?
Can you see the Milky Way from Credit?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Credit?
How far is Credit from Tuckerman?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.