Holcut is a ghost town in Tishomingo County, Mississippi at about 164 m (538 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 13.9 km (8.6 mi) SW of Iuka.
Holcut was a small town in Tishomingo County, Mississippi, United States. In 1975, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bought out and demolished the town because it lay in the path of the Divide Cut, a 29-mile (47 km) canal section of the Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway, which was constructed between 1972 and 1984. After the town was demolished, the Corps of Engineers established a Holcut memorial next to the canal near the site of the town.From the Wikipedia article “Holcut, Mississippi”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Holcut the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:58 AM | 90° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:41 AM | 61° ENE | 8:10 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:42 AM | 89° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:57 AM | 118° ESE | 4:47 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 49m |
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 | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 05m |
| February | 6:14 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:15 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:56 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:51 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 59m |
| June | 5:11 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 28m |
| July | 5:23 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 16m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 28m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:27 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:34 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:01 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 21m |
| December | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 50m |
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 Holcut, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:31 AM – 5:11 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:45 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:44 AM – 4:44 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:48 PM – 4:08 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:55 PM – 3:45 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:50 PM – 2:20 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:15 PM – 12:25 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:27 PM – 10:17 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:44 PM – 8:24 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 21.64 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and February 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 | 73 | 75 | 83 | 87 | 97 | 109 | 106 | 110 | 102 | 103 | 89 | 76 |
| Low °F | 5 | 12 | 17 | 25 | 39 | 52 | 57 | 53 | 42 | 28 | 18 | 10 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.7 | 6.1 | 4.9 | 5.4 | 5.3 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 5.7 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Holcut, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain PeakScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
State Park
CaveScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Holcut Picnic Shelter1.3 km (0.8 mi) · reservable
- Paden Picnic Shelter9.1 km (5.7 mi) · reservable
- Piney Grove Picnic Area Shelters16.2 km (10.0 mi) · reservable
- Piney Grove Beach Picnic Shelter18.0 km (11.2 mi) · reservable
- Piney Grove18.0 km (11.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Holcut?
What time is golden hour at Holcut?
Where does the sun rise and set at Holcut?
Can you see the Milky Way from Holcut?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Holcut?
How far is Holcut from Iuka?
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.