Secor — a ghost town in Hardin County, Iowa at about 288 m (945 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 6.0 km (3.7 mi) SSE of Eldora.
Secor, previously known as Xenia and Delanti, is a ghost town in Hardin County, Iowa, United States. The community was 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south-southeast of Eldora. In its early years, the community was the site of one of the few bridges across the Iowa River in Hardin County. By the mid-20th century, however, the community had lost its school, mill, post office, and businesses, and Secor was considered a ghost town. A 1955 Hardin County newspaper article called it "a place with three different names."From the Wikipedia article “Secor, Iowa”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Secor the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:16 AM | 90° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 57° ENE | 8:53 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 17m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:39 AM | 122° ESE | 4:44 PM | 239° WSW | 24° | 9h 05m |
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 | 7:08 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 26m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:47 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:03 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:20 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:18 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 15m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 59m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:45 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:32 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:20 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 06m |
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 Secor, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:52 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:45 AM – 4:45 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:54 AM – 3:44 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:04 PM – 3:14 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:54 PM – 1:54 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:02 PM – 11:52 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:59 PM – 9:49 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.45 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 45% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 54 | 66 | 80 | 86 | 96 | 103 | 107 | 102 | 100 | 85 | 76 | 66 |
| Low °F | -33 | -18 | -14 | 10 | 26 | 40 | 47 | 44 | 34 | 21 | 2 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 5.1 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 2.6 | 1.6 | 1.4 |
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 Secor?
What time is golden hour at Secor?
Where does the sun rise and set at Secor?
Can you see the Milky Way from Secor?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Secor?
How far is Secor from Eldora?
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.