Chamness is a ghost town in Williamson County, Illinois at about 138 m (453 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Marion, about 7.7 km (4.8 mi) away (Chamness lies SW of town).
Chamness, also known as "Chamnesstown," is a former unincorporated community in Williamson County, Illinois, that disappeared in the mid-1930s when the town was bulldozed for the construction of Crab Orchard Lake. The Lake was part of the Crab Orchard Impoundment Project and was begun as a W.P.A. project after the Federal Government purchased a large section of property which included the town. The construction of Crab Orchard Lake was finished in 1938 and the water of the lake began to cover the sight of Chamnesstown, although the lake is relatively shallow in the former town's location and one can see the foundations upon which rested the town buildings. The Federal Government also built the Illinois Ordnance Plant, called "Ordill", as part of the Crab Orchard Impoundment Project on property located adjacent to Crab Orchard Lake and the former town in the late 1930s. The Ordnance...From the Wikipedia article “Chamness, Illinois”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Chamness 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 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:00 AM | 90° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 59° ENE | 8:22 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 46m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:44 AM | 89° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:08 AM | 120° ESE | 4:41 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 33m |
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 | 6:42 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 51m |
| February | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 6:42 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 12m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 45m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 31m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:32 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:38 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:09 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:15 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:14 PM | 10h 09m |
| December | 6:35 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:46 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 34m |
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 Chamness, 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:54 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:01 AM – 5:31 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:05 AM – 4:45 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:04 AM – 3:54 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:15 PM – 3:35 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:08 PM – 2:08 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:28 PM – 12:08 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:34 PM – 10:04 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:47 PM – 8:07 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.88 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ 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 44% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (67%). 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 | 71 | 72 | 79 | 85 | 90 | 108 | 109 | 105 | 101 | 94 | 81 | 73 |
| Low °F | -5 | -3 | 5 | 23 | 35 | 43 | 53 | 51 | 39 | 26 | 13 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 5.3 | 5.0 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.1 |
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.
- 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 Chamness, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
Wilderness Area
Wilderness Area
State Park
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Chamness?
What time is golden hour at Chamness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Chamness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Chamness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Chamness?
How far is Chamness from Marion?
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.