Located in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, Maquan Pond is a lake. The nearest town is Hanson, about 2.9 km (1.8 mi) away (Maquan Pond lies SE of town).
Maquan Pond is a 48-acre (190,000 m2) pond in Hanson, Massachusetts. Its average depth is 12 feet (3.7 m) and its maximum depth is 18 feet (5.5 m). The pond is spring fed with an overflow on the south end that feeds into Indian Head Pond. The town has a right-of-way on the northern shore of the pond off Maquan Street (Route 14). The town beach, Cranberry Cove, is at south end of the pond. Camp Kiwanee, a former Camp Fire camp, is located on the southeastern shore of the pond.From the Wikipedia article “Maquan Pond”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Maquan Pond the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:48 AM | 90° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:08 AM | 57° ENE | 8:23 PM | 303° WNW | 71° | 15h 15m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:31 AM | 89° E | 6:43 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:09 AM | 122° ESE | 4:15 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 06m |
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
Lakes reflect best in calm air — usually the first hour after sunrise, before breezes ripple the surface.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:39 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:53 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 27m |
| February | 6:12 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:20 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:18 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:35 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:53 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 4:52 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 34m |
| June | 4:33 AM | 5:08 AM | 5:50 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:56 PM | 15h 14m |
| July | 4:48 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 57m |
| August | 5:22 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 5:56 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:01 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:23 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:31 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:04 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:16 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:54 PM | 9h 49m |
| December | 6:34 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:50 AM | 3:28 PM | 4:13 PM | 4:45 PM | 9h 08m |
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 Maquan Pond, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright suburban 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:23 AM – 5:13 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:15 AM – 4:15 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:24 AM – 3:24 AM | 3.0 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:33 PM – 2:53 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:23 PM – 1:33 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 9:32 PM – 11:32 PM | 2.0 | 18° | S → SW |
| September | 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM | 1.0 | 15° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.99 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 48% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (70%). August 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 | 58 | 56 | 67 | 76 | 79 | 84 | 88 | 89 | 86 | 77 | 67 | 62 |
| Low °F | -1 | -1 | 8 | 27 | 37 | 46 | 55 | 56 | 49 | 36 | 18 | 9 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 5.0 |
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 lake
- Mist often lifts off lakes on cold mornings after warm days, especially in autumn.
- Include shoreline rocks, reeds or a log as foreground to give the reflection depth.
- Expose for the brighter sky; reflections are typically half a stop to a stop darker.
- After sunset, long exposures smooth wind ripples into glass.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Autumn mornings bring mist and fall color; high-elevation lakes are usually ice-free only from early summer to mid-autumn.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Circular polarizer, Wide-angle lens, Waterproof boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Maquan Pond, closest first.
Lake
Lake
Lake
State Park
State Park
Beach
Beach
Lake
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Maquan Pond?
What time is golden hour at Maquan Pond?
Where does the sun rise and set at Maquan Pond?
Can you see the Milky Way from Maquan Pond?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Maquan Pond?
How far is Maquan Pond from Hanson?
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.