Raritan Landing is a ghost town in Middlesex County, New Jersey. It sits roughly 2.3 km (1.4 mi) NNE of East Franklin.
Raritan Landing is a historical unincorporated community located within Piscataway Township in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, which was once an inland port, the farthest upstream point ocean-going ships could reach along the Raritan River, across from New Brunswick. Begun in the early 18th century it remained vital until the mid 19th century, when most of the port was abandoned. The remains of the community now reside buried beneath Johnson Park on the south side of River Road, Remnants of the era, mostly the bluff overlooking the Raritan, include the Cornelius Low House, Metlar-Bodine House, and the Road Up Raritan Historic District and an archeological site. The nearby East Jersey Olde Towne Village is home to a permanent exhibition about the Raritan Landing.From the Wikipedia article “Raritan Landing, New Jersey”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Raritan Landing 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 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:02 AM | 90° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:28 AM | 58° ENE | 8:33 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 04m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:46 AM | 89° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 121° ESE | 4:35 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 16m |
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 | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 36m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 6:43 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:11 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 4:54 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:04 PM | 15h 03m |
| July | 5:08 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 48m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:15 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 57m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 18m |
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 Raritan Landing, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 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 9 (inner-city 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:15 AM – 5:15 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:26 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:25 AM – 4:35 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:20 AM – 3:40 AM | 3.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:36 PM – 3:16 AM | 4.7 | 21° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:27 PM – 1:57 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 11:50 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 9:52 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:50 PM – 7:50 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SW → SW |
| 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: 9 Bortle 9 — Inner-city sky. Only the Moon, planets and a few bright stars are visible. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 17.94 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 (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 | 67 | 71 | 73 | 91 | 88 | 96 | 102 | 101 | 96 | 92 | 75 | 71 |
| Low °F | -2 | -3 | 0 | 24 | 33 | 44 | 52 | 53 | 43 | 28 | 14 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 4.4 |
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
- 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.
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Raritan Landing, closest first.
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
State Park
Waterfall
Botanical Garden
State Park
Lighthouse
State Park
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Raritan Landing?
What time is golden hour at Raritan Landing?
Where does the sun rise and set at Raritan Landing?
Can you see the Milky Way from Raritan Landing?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Raritan Landing?
How far is Raritan Landing from East Franklin?
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.