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41.0056° N84.3033° W221 mBortle 3New York

Huntstown Photography Guide

Ghost Town in Putnam County, Ohio · 221 m (725 ft)

  • Bortle 3 sky
  • Sunset azimuth 239°–303°
  • Clearest: September
  • Milky Way Mar–Sep

Huntstown is a ghost town in Putnam County, Ohio at about 221 m (725 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Kalida, about 9.1 km (5.7 mi) away (Huntstown lies WNW of town).

Huntstown is a ghost town in Putnam County, in the U.S. state of Ohio.From the Wikipedia article “Huntstown, Ohio”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Elevation
221 m
725 ft
Nearest town
Kalida
9.1 km (5.7 mi)
Sky darkness
Bortle 3
Rural sky
Clearest month
September
47% cloud
Milky Way peak
June
4.5 h window
Golden hour (Oct)
6:21 PM
sunset 6:58 PM

Light at Huntstown

Live
Sunrise
7:55 AM
Sunset
6:51 PM
Golden hour AM
7:38 AM – 8:32 AM
Golden hour PM
6:13 PM – 7:08 PM
Blue hour AM
7:27 AM – 7:38 AM
Blue hour PM
7:08 PM – 7:18 PM
Full darkness
8:22 PM – 6:24 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 70%
Moonrise / set
4:07 PM / 1:51 AM
Day length
10h 56m
Sunrise azimuth
103°
Sunset azimuth
257°
000306091215182124
NightTwilightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Times in America/New York. Golden hour = sun −4° to +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

NWS

Hourly sky cover from the National Weather Service. 20–60% cloud often gives the most colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise & sunset directions

At Huntstown 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 72° in summer but only 26° in winter.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice
DateSunriseAzimuthSunsetAzimuthNoon sunDaylight
March equinox (Mar 20)7:42 AM90° E7:49 PM271° W49°12h 08m
June solstice (Jun 21)6:06 AM58° ENE9:14 PM303° WNW72°15h 08m
September equinox (Sep 22)7:25 AM89° E7:36 PM271° W49°12h 11m
December solstice (Dec 21)7:59 AM121° ESE5:13 PM239° WSW26°9h 13m

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 startsSunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January7:30 AM8:01 AM8:43 AM4:51 PM5:34 PM6:04 PM9h 33m
February7:04 AM7:33 AM8:11 AM5:33 PM6:12 PM6:40 PM10h 39m
March7:22 AM7:50 AM8:26 AM7:08 PM7:44 PM8:11 PM11h 54m
April6:30 AM6:59 AM7:36 AM7:40 PM8:17 PM8:45 PM13h 18m
May5:49 AM6:20 AM7:00 AM8:09 PM8:49 PM9:20 PM14h 28m
June5:32 AM6:05 AM6:47 AM8:30 PM9:12 PM9:45 PM15h 06m
July5:46 AM6:18 AM6:59 AM8:28 PM9:09 PM9:42 PM14h 51m
August6:18 AM6:48 AM7:26 AM8:00 PM8:37 PM9:07 PM13h 50m
September6:51 AM7:18 AM7:55 AM7:12 PM7:48 PM8:16 PM12h 30m
October7:21 AM7:49 AM8:26 AM6:21 PM6:58 PM7:26 PM11h 09m
November6:56 AM7:26 AM8:06 AM4:39 PM5:20 PM5:49 PM9h 54m
December7:25 AM7:56 AM8:40 AM4:27 PM5:11 PM5:42 PM9h 15m

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 Huntstown, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.

MonthCore visible (15th)HoursMax altitudeDirection
JanuaryBelow 10° in darkness—-2°—
February5:54 AM – 5:54 AM0.010°SE → SE
March5:06 AM – 6:16 AM1.217°SE → SSE
April3:05 AM – 5:15 AM2.220°SE → S
May1:02 AM – 4:22 AM3.320°SE → S
June11:19 PM – 3:49 AM4.520°SSE → SSW
July11:10 PM – 2:30 AM3.320°S → SW
August10:21 PM – 12:31 AM2.220°S → SW
September9:22 PM – 10:32 PM1.217°SSW → SW
October8:29 PM – 8:29 PM0.011°SW → SW
NovemberBelow 10° in darkness—-1°—
DecemberBelow 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.35 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 47% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (77%). 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 (%)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High °F64698181911021039797877767
Low °F-17-12-12025394447372511-12
Precip. (in)2.02.32.43.44.23.73.53.43.02.92.82.4

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

  • 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.

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph Huntstown?
September has the clearest skies on average; june is best for the milky way core. For light, plan around the first and last hour of sun. High-elevation mining towns are reachable mostly from June to October; desert ghost towns are best in spring and autumn.
What time is golden hour at Huntstown?
In October the evening golden hour starts around 6:21 PM and ends after sunset at about 6:58 PM; the morning golden hour lasts until about 8:26 AM. Use the live widget above for exact times on any date.
Where does the sun rise and set at Huntstown?
Sunrise azimuth ranges from about 58° in June to 121° in December; sunset ranges from 303° to 239°. See the sun-path diagram for the full arc.
Can you see the Milky Way from Huntstown?
Yes — the core is visible from March to September on moonless nights. The estimated sky quality is Bortle 3 (rural sky).
Do you need a permit to photograph at Huntstown?
Personal photography from public land rarely needs a permit. Commercial shoots, models, large groups and drones may require permission from the land manager — check before you go.
How far is Huntstown from Kalida?
About 9.1 km (5.7 mi) in a straight line; driving distance is usually longer, especially in mountain terrain.

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.