Prescott is a ghost town in Franklin County, Massachusetts at about 304 m (997 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Pelham, about 4.8 km (3.0 mi) away (Prescott lies E of town).
Prescott was a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It was incorporated in 1822 from portions of Pelham and New Salem, and was partially built on Equivalent Lands. It was named in honor of Colonel William Prescott, who commanded the American forces at the Battle of Bunker Hill. It was disincorporated on April 28, 1938, as part of the creation of the Quabbin Reservoir. It was the least populous of the four unincorporated towns, with barely 300 residents by 1900. Upon dissolution, portions of the town were annexed to the adjacent towns of New Salem and Petersham. The majority of the former town (the New Salem portion) is still above water, and is known as the Prescott Peninsula. The public is not allowed on the peninsula except for an annual tour given by the Swift River Valley Historical Society, or for hikes conducted by the Society. None of the land is in...From the Wikipedia article “Prescott, Massachusetts”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Prescott 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 238° (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) | 6:54 AM | 90° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 57° ENE | 8:31 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 17m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:37 AM | 89° E | 6:49 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 122° ESE | 4:20 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 04m |
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 | 6:46 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 25m |
| February | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 6:34 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:40 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:31 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 4:57 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 36m |
| June | 4:38 AM | 5:13 AM | 5:55 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:03 PM | 15h 16m |
| July | 4:53 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 59m |
| August | 5:27 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:02 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:07 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:29 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:34 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:37 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:11 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:23 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:29 PM | 4:59 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:33 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:50 PM | 9h 06m |
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 Prescott, 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 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:30 AM – 5:20 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:22 AM – 4:22 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:33 AM – 3:23 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:44 PM – 2:54 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:33 PM – 1:33 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 11:30 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:37 PM – 9:27 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.26 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 51% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 63 | 67 | 74 | 87 | 87 | 90 | 97 | 99 | 96 | 85 | 72 | 67 |
| Low °F | -22 | -19 | -13 | 12 | 27 | 36 | 48 | 47 | 36 | 18 | 2 | -13 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 4.2 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Prescott, closest first.
Lake
Ghost Town
Mountain Peak
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
Covered Bridge
State Park
Mountain Peak
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Prescott?
What time is golden hour at Prescott?
Where does the sun rise and set at Prescott?
Can you see the Milky Way from Prescott?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Prescott?
How far is Prescott from Pelham?
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.