Located in Churchill County, Nevada, Jessup is a ghost town. The nearest town is Lovelock, about 43 km (27 mi) away (Jessup lies SW of town).
Jessup, also briefly known as White Canyon, is a ghost town in Churchill County, Nevada, United States. It was founded in 1908 after gold and silver mine claims were located. At its peak, it supported a population of around 300, with grocery stores and a post office, among other things. There are at least eight formerly active mines in the area. It is located a few miles north of Interstate 80 between Fernley and Lovelock. Southern Pacific provided prospectors access to the town by stopping in nearby White Plains. All that remains today is a few dilapidated wood buildings and abandoned mines.From the Wikipedia article “Jessup, Nevada”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Jessup 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 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:00 AM | 90° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:28 AM | 58° ENE | 8:28 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 15h 00m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:44 AM | 89° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:14 AM | 121° ESE | 4:34 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 20m |
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 | 7:16 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 39m |
| February | 6:21 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:44 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:50 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:11 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 23m |
| June | 4:54 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 59m |
| July | 5:08 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 44m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:39 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:12 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 59m |
| December | 6:40 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:54 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 21m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Jessup, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:02 AM – 5:12 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:12 AM – 5:32 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:10 AM – 4:30 AM | 2.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:14 AM – 3:44 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:29 PM – 3:19 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:21 PM – 1:51 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:35 PM – 11:55 PM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:37 PM – 9:47 PM | 1.2 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:47 PM – 7:57 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.86 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 23% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (64%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 74 | 73 | 81 | 91 | 103 | 105 | 110 | 105 | 103 | 92 | 78 | 67 |
| Low °F | 7 | 15 | 19 | 22 | 29 | 36 | 52 | 47 | 35 | 21 | 11 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.0 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Jessup, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Jessup?
What time is golden hour at Jessup?
Where does the sun rise and set at Jessup?
Can you see the Milky Way from Jessup?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Jessup?
How far is Jessup from Lovelock?
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.