Manchester — a ghost town in Kingsbury County, South Dakota — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 13.7 km (8.5 mi) W of De Smet.
Manchester was a town in Kingsbury County in the east-central part of the U.S. state of South Dakota. On June 24, 2003, the town was obliterated by a large F4-rated tornado and has since become a ghost town. In 2004, the state of South Dakota officially disincorporated the town of Manchester. According to the 2000 census, the population of Manchester was 40.From the Wikipedia article “Manchester, South Dakota”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Manchester the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:35 AM | 90° E | 7:43 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:47 AM | 55° NE | 9:19 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:19 AM | 89° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:05 AM | 123° ESE | 4:55 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 50m |
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 | 7:32 AM | 8:04 AM | 8:50 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 13m |
| February | 7:02 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:13 AM | 5:19 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:30 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 7:15 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:23 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:06 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:17 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 5:31 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:25 PM | 14h 47m |
| June | 5:10 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:33 PM | 9:18 PM | 9:54 PM | 15h 31m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:30 PM | 9:14 PM | 9:49 PM | 15h 12m |
| August | 6:03 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 6:41 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:49 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:13 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:17 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:26 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:56 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 37m |
| December | 7:28 AM | 8:01 AM | 8:49 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:26 PM | 8h 52m |
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 Manchester, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:24 AM – 6:04 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:21 AM – 4:51 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:27 AM – 3:57 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:44 PM – 3:14 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:29 PM – 1:59 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:30 PM – 12:00 AM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:23 PM – 9:53 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.9 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 50 | 63 | 81 | 87 | 95 | 102 | 109 | 103 | 97 | 86 | 73 | 53 |
| Low °F | -39 | -26 | -25 | 8 | 23 | 40 | 47 | 44 | 31 | 7 | -3 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 2.4 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 0.8 |
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.
- 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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Manchester?
What time is golden hour at Manchester?
Where does the sun rise and set at Manchester?
Can you see the Milky Way from Manchester?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Manchester?
How far is Manchester from De Smet?
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.