Located in Roane County, Tennessee, Wheat is a ghost town. It sits roughly 11.1 km (6.9 mi) SSE of Coalfield.
Wheat was a farming community in Roane County, Tennessee. The area is now in the city of Oak Ridge. The earliest settlers moved into the area in the late 18th century. However, it was not until 1846 that the area was established as the community of Bald Hill. The name was changed to Wheat in 1880, when a post office was opened and the community took the name of its first postmaster, Frank Wheat.From the Wikipedia article “Wheat, Tennessee”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Wheat the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:42 AM | 90° E | 7:50 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:22 AM | 60° ENE | 8:58 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:26 AM | 89° E | 7:36 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:45 AM | 119° ESE | 5:28 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 43m |
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 | 7:20 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:26 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:15 PM | 9h 59m |
| February | 7:00 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:46 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 7:24 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:23 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:11 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:39 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 6:04 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:09 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 04m |
| June | 5:51 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:59 AM | 8:18 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:27 PM | 14h 35m |
| July | 6:04 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:10 AM | 8:18 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:25 PM | 14h 22m |
| August | 6:30 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:56 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 6:55 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:55 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:12 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:19 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:19 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:47 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 17m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:21 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:54 PM | 9h 44m |
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 Wheat, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:25 AM – 5:55 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:30 AM – 6:20 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:31 AM – 5:31 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:37 AM – 4:47 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:46 PM – 4:26 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:40 PM – 3:00 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:03 PM – 1:03 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 9:13 PM – 11:03 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:28 PM – 8:58 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.02 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 48% average cloud cover) and February 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 | 72 | 76 | 87 | 85 | 94 | 107 | 107 | 104 | 101 | 98 | 86 | 74 |
| Low °F | 3 | 0 | 13 | 22 | 35 | 47 | 53 | 52 | 39 | 26 | 18 | 12 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.4 | 5.4 | 4.4 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 5.3 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 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
- 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.
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Wheat, closest first.
Cave
Waterfall
State Park
Scenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Wheat?
What time is golden hour at Wheat?
Where does the sun rise and set at Wheat?
Can you see the Milky Way from Wheat?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Wheat?
How far is Wheat from Coalfield?
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.