A destroyed Glenville, DE, home.
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39.7126° N75.6399° WBortle 6New York

Glenville Photography Guide

Ghost Town in New Castle County, Delaware

  • Bortle 6 sky
  • Sunset azimuth 240°–302°
  • Clearest: September
  • Milky Way Mar–Sep
Photo: LoverOfArt (talk) (Uploads) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

Glenville is a ghost town in New Castle County, Delaware. The nearest town is Newport, about 2.6 km (1.6 mi) away (Glenville lies W of town).

Glenville is a ghost town in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The community consisted of a development on Bread and Cheese Island, on the east bank of the Red Clay Creek near its mouth, just south of Delaware Route 4 near Stanton. Located in the floodplain for Red Clay Creek, the subdivision has always been prone to flooding, such as flooding from Hurricane Floyd in 1999 and Tropical Storm Henri in 2003. After floods caused by Tropical Storm Henri on September 15, 2003, homeowners were bought out by the state and local government, and the community was abandoned in 2004. Demolition began in 2005. As of 2023, the remains of the town are fenced off to prevent trespassers.From the Wikipedia article “Glenville, Delaware”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Nearest town
Newport
2.6 km (1.6 mi)
Sky darkness
Bortle 6
Bright suburban sky
Clearest month
September
50% cloud
Milky Way peak
June
4.8 h window
Golden hour (Oct)
5:48 PM
sunset 6:25 PM

Light at Glenville

Live
Sunrise
7:18 AM
Sunset
6:18 PM
Golden hour AM
7:02 AM – 7:55 AM
Golden hour PM
5:41 PM – 6:34 PM
Blue hour AM
6:51 AM – 7:02 AM
Blue hour PM
6:34 PM – 6:45 PM
Full darkness
7:47 PM – 5:50 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 70%
Moonrise / set
3:30 PM / 1:17 AM
Day length
10h 59m
Sunrise azimuth
103°
Sunset azimuth
257°
000306091215182124
NightTwilightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Times in America/New York. Golden hour = sun −4° to +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

NWS

Hourly sky cover from the National Weather Service. 20–60% cloud often gives the most colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise & sunset directions

At Glenville the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice
DateSunriseAzimuthSunsetAzimuthNoon sunDaylight
March equinox (Mar 20)7:07 AM90° E7:15 PM271° W50°12h 08m
June solstice (Jun 21)5:36 AM58° ENE8:35 PM302° WNW74°14h 59m
September equinox (Sep 22)6:51 AM89° E7:01 PM271° W51°12h 11m
December solstice (Dec 21)7:21 AM121° ESE4:42 PM240° WSW27°9h 21m

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 startsSunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January6:53 AM7:22 AM8:04 AM4:21 PM5:03 PM5:32 PM9h 40m
February6:28 AM6:56 AM7:34 AM5:02 PM5:39 PM6:07 PM10h 43m
March6:48 AM7:15 AM7:51 AM6:34 PM7:10 PM7:37 PM11h 55m
April5:58 AM6:26 AM7:02 AM7:04 PM7:41 PM8:08 PM13h 15m
May5:19 AM5:49 AM6:28 AM7:32 PM8:11 PM8:41 PM14h 22m
June5:02 AM5:35 AM6:15 AM7:52 PM8:33 PM9:05 PM14h 58m
July5:16 AM5:48 AM6:27 AM7:51 PM8:30 PM9:02 PM14h 43m
August5:47 AM6:15 AM6:52 AM7:23 PM8:00 PM8:29 PM13h 45m
September6:17 AM6:44 AM7:20 AM6:38 PM7:13 PM7:40 PM12h 29m
October6:46 AM7:13 AM7:50 AM5:48 PM6:25 PM6:52 PM11h 12m
November6:19 AM6:48 AM7:28 AM4:08 PM4:48 PM5:17 PM10h 00m
December6:47 AM7:17 AM8:00 AM3:57 PM4:40 PM5:10 PM9h 23m

Local time (America/New York), 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 Glenville, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.

MonthCore visible (15th)HoursMax altitudeDirection
JanuaryBelow 10° in darkness—-3°—
February5:10 AM – 5:20 AM0.211°SE → SE
March4:20 AM – 5:40 AM1.318°SE → SSE
April2:17 AM – 4:47 AM2.521°SE → S
May12:21 AM – 3:51 AM3.521°SE → S
June10:35 PM – 3:25 AM4.821°SE → SSW
July10:27 PM – 2:07 AM3.721°S → SW
August9:42 PM – 12:02 AM2.321°S → SW
September8:45 PM – 10:05 PM1.318°SSW → SW
October7:55 PM – 8:05 PM0.212°SW → SW
NovemberBelow 10° in darkness—0°—
DecemberBelow 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.16 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.

Weather & best season

Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 50% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (63%). 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 (%)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High °F67727791909710210096957670
Low °F0-1-3253546555443302110
Precip. (in)2.93.13.63.73.74.84.54.44.24.23.53.9

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 Glenville, closest first.

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph Glenville?
September has the clearest skies on average; june is best for the milky way core. For light, plan around the first and last hour of sun. High-elevation mining towns are reachable mostly from June to October; desert ghost towns are best in spring and autumn.
What time is golden hour at Glenville?
In October the evening golden hour starts around 5:48 PM and ends after sunset at about 6:25 PM; the morning golden hour lasts until about 7:50 AM. Use the live widget above for exact times on any date.
Where does the sun rise and set at Glenville?
Sunrise azimuth ranges from about 58° in June to 121° in December; sunset ranges from 302° to 240°. See the sun-path diagram for the full arc.
Can you see the Milky Way from Glenville?
Yes — the core is visible from March to September on moonless nights. The estimated sky quality is Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky).
Do you need a permit to photograph at Glenville?
Personal photography from public land rarely needs a permit. Commercial shoots, models, large groups and drones may require permission from the land manager — check before you go.
How far is Glenville from Newport?
About 2.6 km (1.6 mi) in a straight line; driving distance is usually longer, especially in mountain terrain.

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.