Located in Adams County, Wisconsin, New Chester is a ghost town at about 316 m (1,037 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Westfield, about 11.8 km (7.3 mi) away (New Chester lies WSW of town).
The Town of New Chester is located in Adams County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 2,254 at the time of the 2010 census, up from 864 at the time of the 2000 census. By the 2020 census, the population decreased to 1,960. The unincorporated communities of Brooks and Grand Marsh are located in the town. The ghost town of New Chester is also located in the town.From the Wikipedia article “New Chester, Wisconsin”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At New Chester the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:03 AM | 90° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:17 AM | 56° NE | 8:45 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:46 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:30 AM | 123° ESE | 4:24 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 54m |
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 | 6:58 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:16 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 16m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 6:43 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:46 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:01 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 44m |
| June | 4:40 AM | 5:16 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:19 PM | 15h 27m |
| July | 4:56 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:14 PM | 15h 09m |
| August | 5:32 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:44 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:23 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:37 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 40m |
| December | 6:54 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:14 AM | 3:35 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:55 PM | 8h 56m |
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 New Chester, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:51 AM – 5:31 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:47 AM – 4:27 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:51 AM – 3:21 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:06 PM – 2:46 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:53 PM – 1:33 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:56 PM – 11:26 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:49 PM – 9:29 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.65 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 48% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (71%). 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 | 49 | 65 | 78 | 81 | 91 | 97 | 104 | 98 | 94 | 85 | 72 | 63 |
| Low °F | -43 | -25 | -19 | 10 | 26 | 39 | 46 | 42 | 33 | 19 | 2 | -25 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 5.3 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.8 |
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of New Chester, closest first.
Ghost TownGhost TownGhost TownGhost Town
State ParkGhost TownFAQ
When is the best time to photograph New Chester?
What time is golden hour at New Chester?
Where does the sun rise and set at New Chester?
Can you see the Milky Way from New Chester?
Do you need a permit to photograph at New Chester?
How far is New Chester from Westfield?
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.