Big Spring — a ghost town in Wayne County, Iowa at about 326 m (1,070 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 19.4 km (12.1 mi) WSW of Corydon.
Big Spring is a ghost town located in Wayne County, Iowa, United States. By 1887, several mineral springs had been located nearby. The settlement had a post office from 1875 to 1901. All that remains of the settlement is the Big Springs Cemetery.From the Wikipedia article “Big Spring, Iowa”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Big Spring 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 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:18 AM | 90° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:44 AM | 58° ENE | 8:49 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:02 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:35 AM | 121° ESE | 4:51 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 15m |
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 | 7:07 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:19 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 6:59 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:08 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:27 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 5:10 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:25 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:21 PM | 15h 04m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 48m |
| August | 5:56 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:58 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:03 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 17m |
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 Big Spring, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:31 AM – 5:31 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:42 AM – 5:52 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:42 AM – 4:52 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:37 AM – 3:57 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:54 PM – 3:34 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:45 PM – 2:05 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:57 PM – 12:07 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:58 PM – 10:08 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:06 PM – 8:06 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.8 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 42% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 60 | 73 | 78 | 87 | 98 | 103 | 109 | 107 | 102 | 92 | 76 | 71 |
| Low °F | -32 | -11 | -6 | 17 | 30 | 42 | 51 | 46 | 37 | 22 | 6 | -10 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.4 | 2.3 | 3.8 | 5.1 | 5.4 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 1.9 | 1.7 |
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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Big Spring?
What time is golden hour at Big Spring?
Where does the sun rise and set at Big Spring?
Can you see the Milky Way from Big Spring?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Big Spring?
How far is Big Spring from Corydon?
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.