Rodney — a ghost town in Jefferson County, Mississippi — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 7.1 km (4.4 mi) SSE of Saint Joseph.
Rodney is a ghost town in Jefferson County, Mississippi, United States. Most of the buildings are gone and the remaining structures are in various states of disrepair. The town regularly floods and buildings have extensive flood damage. The Rodney History and Preservation Society is restoring Rodney Presbyterian Church, whose damaged façade from the American Civil War includes a replica cannonball embedded above its balcony windows. The Rodney Center Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places. The town is approximately 32 miles (51 km) northeast of Natchez and is currently about two miles (3.2 km) inland from the Mississippi River. Wetlands between the town and the river include a lake that roughly follows the river's former course. Atop the loess bluffs behind Rodney are its cemetery and Confederate earthworks from the Civil War.From the Wikipedia article “Rodney, Mississippi”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Rodney the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 82° in summer but only 35° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:00 AM | 62° ENE | 8:14 PM | 299° WNW | 82° | 14h 14m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:02 AM | 117° ESE | 5:06 PM | 243° WSW | 35° | 10h 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 | 6:40 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 18m |
| February | 6:23 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:21 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:17 PM | 11h 04m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:38 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:12 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:34 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 57m |
| May | 5:42 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 47m |
| June | 5:31 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 13m |
| July | 5:43 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 02m |
| August | 6:05 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 20m |
| September | 6:25 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:44 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:34 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 25m |
| November | 6:08 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:09 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:32 PM | 10h 32m |
| December | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:30 PM | 10h 05m |
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 Rodney, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 29° 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 | 4:34 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:45 AM – 5:45 AM | 2.0 | 26° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:39 AM – 5:09 AM | 3.5 | 29° | SE → S |
| May | 11:39 PM – 4:29 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:52 PM – 4:12 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:49 PM – 2:49 AM | 5.0 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:18 PM – 12:48 AM | 3.5 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 8:35 PM – 10:45 PM | 2.2 | 26° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:55 PM – 8:45 PM | 0.8 | 18° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.82 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 38% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 79 | 82 | 85 | 95 | 102 | 106 | 107 | 108 | 105 | 101 | 89 | 81 |
| Low °F | 16 | 19 | 20 | 32 | 42 | 55 | 62 | 54 | 46 | 32 | 19 | 19 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.1 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 5.1 | 4.8 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 5.3 |
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.
- Leave everything as you found it; removing artifacts from public land is illegal.
- 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 Rodney, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Rodney?
What time is golden hour at Rodney?
Where does the sun rise and set at Rodney?
Can you see the Milky Way from Rodney?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Rodney?
How far is Rodney from Saint Joseph?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.