Blackwell School National Historic Site is a National Historic Site in Texas. This guide combines the park's official information with computed sunrise, sunset and Milky Way times, satellite climate data and nearby photo locations.
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour
At Blackwell School the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 83° in summer but only 36° in winter.
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Sunset az. | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:54 AM | 8:29 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:18 PM | 246° | 10h 24m |
| February | 7:37 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:45 PM | 256° | 11h 08m |
| March | 8:07 AM | 8:39 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:05 PM | 268° | 11h 58m |
| April | 7:30 AM | 8:02 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:24 PM | 282° | 12h 54m |
| May | 7:03 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:44 PM | 293° | 13h 41m |
| June | 6:55 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:00 PM | 298° | 14h 05m |
| July | 7:05 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:26 PM | 9:00 PM | 296° | 13h 55m |
| August | 7:24 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:39 PM | 287° | 13h 15m |
| September | 7:41 AM | 8:13 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:03 PM | 274° | 12h 22m |
| October | 7:59 AM | 8:31 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:26 PM | 261° | 11h 27m |
| November | 7:23 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:01 PM | 249° | 10h 38m |
| December | 7:46 AM | 8:22 AM | 5:22 PM | 5:58 PM | 243° | 10h 12m |
Computed for the park's reference point (30.3058, -104.0226); large parks span several minutes of difference.
Milky Way & dark skies
From Blackwell School, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 31° 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| February | 5:16 AM – 6:16 AM | 1.0 | 19° |
| March | 4:24 AM – 6:44 AM | 2.3 | 28° |
| April | 2:27 AM – 5:57 AM | 3.5 | 31° |
| May | 12:24 AM – 5:24 AM | 5.0 | 31° |
| June | 10:37 PM – 5:17 AM | 6.7 | 31° |
| July | 10:34 PM – 3:44 AM | 5.2 | 31° |
| August | 10:05 PM – 1:45 AM | 3.7 | 31° |
| September | 9:24 PM – 11:44 PM | 2.3 | 28° |
| October | 8:46 PM – 9:46 PM | 1.0 | 19° |
| November | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| December | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
1 Estimated Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious.
Weather & best time to visit
Marfa experiences long and hot summers from May – September. The winters are cold and windy with occasional light snow due to its elevation from November – February. Spring and fall offer pleasant temperatures and light rainfall.
Weather overview: National Park Service.
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 30% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (52%). June is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
Average high (°F)
Photography permits, drones & fees
Permits. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones. Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Getting there
The Blackwell School is located in west Texas in the community of Marfa at the junction of US 90 and US 67 highways.
Directions: National Park Service.
Nearby parks
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