Nomans Land Island National Wildlife Refuge — a national wildlife refuge in Dukes County, Massachusetts — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 18.3 km (11.4 mi) SW of West Tisbury.
Nomans Land (Wampanoag: Cappoaquit; also mapped "No Man's Land," "No Mans Land," or "No Man's island"), is an uninhabited island 612 acres (248 ha) in size, located in the town of Chilmark, Dukes County, Massachusetts. It is situated about 3 miles (4.8 km) off the southwest corner of the island of Martha's Vineyard. The island is 1.6 miles (2.6 km) long east to west, and about 1 mile (1.6 km) north to southFrom the Wikipedia article “Nomans Land”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Nomans Land Island National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:48 AM | 90° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:11 AM | 57° ENE | 8:20 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 09m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:31 AM | 89° E | 6:42 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:06 AM | 121° ESE | 4:18 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 12m |
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
Wildlife is most active in the first and last two hours of daylight — exactly when the light is warmest.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:37 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:50 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 32m |
| February | 6:11 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:18 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:18 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:36 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:42 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:52 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 4:54 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 29m |
| June | 4:37 AM | 5:10 AM | 5:52 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:52 PM | 15h 08m |
| July | 4:51 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 52m |
| August | 5:24 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 51m |
| September | 5:57 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:01 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:22 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:28 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:32 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:03 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:13 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:25 PM | 4:55 PM | 9h 53m |
| December | 6:31 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:47 AM | 3:32 PM | 4:16 PM | 4:47 PM | 9h 13m |
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 Nomans Land Island National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:00 AM – 5:00 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:12 AM – 5:22 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:12 AM – 4:22 AM | 2.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:09 AM – 3:29 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:27 PM – 2:57 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:17 PM – 1:37 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:28 PM – 11:28 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:28 PM – 9:28 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:35 PM – 7:35 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SW → SW |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.15 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 50% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (69%). 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 | 56 | 54 | 62 | 72 | 76 | 87 | 89 | 86 | 81 | 76 | 67 | 63 |
| Low °F | 2 | 1 | 13 | 29 | 39 | 49 | 58 | 60 | 51 | 38 | 22 | 12 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.4 |
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 national wildlife refuge
- Fast shutter speeds (1/2000 s+) freeze wingbeats; raise ISO rather than lose the shot.
- Migration peaks bring the largest concentrations — see the birding calendar for this state.
- Use auto-loop roads as mobile blinds; animals often tolerate vehicles more than people on foot.
- Stay on designated routes and keep a respectful distance — if an animal changes behavior, you are too close.
- A 400–600 mm lens (or a crop body) is the usual tool for birds.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Spring and autumn migration are the highlights; winter brings waterfowl to many southern refuges.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens (400 mm+), Bean bag for car window, Binoculars. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Launching or landing drones on National Wildlife Refuge lands generally requires a special use permit from the refuge manager, and wildlife disturbance rules apply everywhere.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Nomans Land Island National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Beach
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Lighthouse
Scenic Viewpoint
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Lighthouse
LighthouseFAQ
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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.