Located in Contra Costa County, California, Ambrose is a ghost town. It sits roughly 1.2 km (0.7 mi) NE of Bay Point.
Bay Point, formerly West Pittsburg and originally Bella Vista, is a census-designated place located in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in Contra Costa County, California, United States. Bay Point is just west of Pittsburg and northeast of Concord on the southern shore of Suisun Bay. The population of Bay Point was 23,896 as of 2020. The Pittsburg/Bay Point Station of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) rail system is located adjacent to Bay Point in Pittsburg. The community is traversed by State Route 4, the California Delta Highway, a controlled-access road. Being unincorporated, Bay Point does not have its own police department. The community is policed by the California Highway Patrol and the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office. The ZIP Code is 94565, and the area code is 925.From the Wikipedia article “Bay Point, California”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ambrose the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:12 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:46 AM | 59° ENE | 8:35 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 48m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 120° ESE | 4:52 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 31m |
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 | 6:55 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 49m |
| February | 6:32 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 6:54 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:06 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:29 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 14m |
| June | 5:14 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 47m |
| July | 5:27 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 33m |
| August | 5:56 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 39m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:25 PM | 10h 08m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 32m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Ambrose, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:06 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:13 AM – 5:43 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:18 AM – 4:58 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:17 AM – 4:07 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:29 PM – 3:49 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:22 PM – 2:22 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 12:21 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:47 PM – 10:17 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:59 PM – 8:19 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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 ≈ 18.64 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 11% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (60%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 77 | 77 | 83 | 93 | 107 | 112 | 116 | 112 | 115 | 107 | 87 | 76 |
| Low °F | 24 | 26 | 29 | 33 | 38 | 45 | 51 | 52 | 47 | 40 | 26 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.6 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.2 | 2.4 | 4.5 |
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
- 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.
- Old buildings under the Milky Way make strong night images in dark rural skies.
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Ambrose, closest first.
Lighthouse
Botanical Garden
National Wildlife Refuge
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Mountain Peak
Scenic Viewpoint
State Park
BeachFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ambrose?
What time is golden hour at Ambrose?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ambrose?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ambrose?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ambrose?
How far is Ambrose from Bay Point?
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.