Located in City of Suffolk, Virginia, Nansemond National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. It sits roughly 10.4 km (6.5 mi) NNE of Suffolk.
The Nansemond National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge of the United States located along the Nansemond River in Suffolk, Virginia. It is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as a satellite of Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. In 1973 about 207 acres (0.84 km2) of salt marsh were transferred to the Service by the United States Navy to form the refuge. An additional 204 acres (0.83 km2) were transferred in 1999. The refuge is not open to the public.From the Wikipedia article “Nansemond National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Nansemond National Wildlife Refuge 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 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:48 AM | 60° ENE | 8:29 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 41m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 119° ESE | 4:54 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 38m |
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 | 6:50 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 55m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:06 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 5:31 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 08m |
| June | 5:17 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 40m |
| July | 5:29 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 27m |
| August | 5:57 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:24 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 35m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:42 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:48 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:57 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:18 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:20 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:26 PM | 10h 13m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 39m |
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 Nansemond National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:54 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:10 AM – 5:50 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:02 AM – 4:52 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:09 AM – 4:09 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:19 PM – 3:49 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:13 PM – 2:23 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:34 PM – 12:24 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 10:23 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:57 PM – 8:27 PM | 0.5 | 14° | 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.62 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 47% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (57%). 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 | 71 | 74 | 80 | 85 | 95 | 99 | 101 | 101 | 96 | 94 | 79 | 75 |
| Low °F | 11 | 6 | 19 | 29 | 41 | 53 | 61 | 59 | 52 | 38 | 25 | 19 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 5.1 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 3.5 |
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
- 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.
- Fast shutter speeds (1/2000 s+) freeze wingbeats; raise ISO rather than lose the shot.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Nansemond National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Scenic Viewpoint
Lake
National Wildlife Refuge
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Nansemond National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Nansemond National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Nansemond National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Nansemond National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Nansemond National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Nansemond National Wildlife Refuge from Suffolk?
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.