Located in Inyo County, California, Ballarat is a ghost town. It sits roughly 35 km (22 mi) NNE of Searles Valley.
Ballarat is an unincorporated community in Inyo County, California. It was founded in 1897 as a supply point for the mines in the canyons of the Panamint Range. A quarter-mile to the south is Post Office Springs, a reliable water source used since the 1850s. George Riggins, an immigrant from Australia, gave Ballarat its name when he proposed it should be named for Ballarat in Victoria, Australia. It has been a virtual ghost town since the early 20th century.From the Wikipedia article “Ballarat, California”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ballarat 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 77° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:53 AM | 90° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:33 AM | 60° ENE | 8:10 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 37m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:38 AM | 89° E | 6:47 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:57 AM | 119° ESE | 4:39 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 42m |
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 | 6:32 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:20 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 59m |
| February | 6:11 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:13 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 6:35 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:50 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:51 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:49 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:15 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:17 PM | 14h 05m |
| June | 5:02 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 36m |
| July | 5:15 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 23m |
| August | 5:41 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 6:07 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:23 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:30 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:40 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 5:59 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:04 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:10 PM | 10h 16m |
| December | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:33 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 43m |
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 Ballarat, 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:37 AM – 5:07 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:42 AM – 5:32 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:43 AM – 4:43 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:49 PM – 3:59 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:58 PM – 3:38 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:52 PM – 2:12 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:15 PM – 12:15 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:24 PM – 10:04 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:40 PM – 8:10 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.7 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (48%). 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 | 76 | 78 | 86 | 93 | 103 | 111 | 110 | 110 | 105 | 96 | 82 | 72 |
| Low °F | 17 | 21 | 23 | 28 | 36 | 42 | 59 | 55 | 43 | 26 | 21 | 18 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 1.2 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Ballarat, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ballarat?
What time is golden hour at Ballarat?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ballarat?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ballarat?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ballarat?
How far is Ballarat from Searles Valley?
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.