Ocean Beach is a beach in Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut. It sits roughly 5.1 km (3.2 mi) SE of Waterford.
Ocean Beach Park is a large beach located on the southern shore of New London, Connecticut. It overlooks the southernmost end of the Thames River as well as the Long Island Sound, and the islands of Fisher's Island and Long Island can be seen from the beach. Ocean Beach Park contains within its boundaries a large sugar-sand beach, boardwalk, mini golf, kiddie rides, waterslides, olympic-size swimming pool, cafeteria, ice cream stand, nature trail, banquet halls, arcade, and often has live music performances during the summer season, specifically on its center boardwalk stage. Firework displays happen often during the summer, typically accompanied by a live tribute band.From the Wikipedia article “Ocean Beach (New London)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ocean Beach 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) | 6:53 AM | 90° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:16 AM | 57° ENE | 8:26 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 10m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:36 AM | 89° E | 6:47 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:12 AM | 121° ESE | 4:23 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 11m |
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
Beaches facing east suit sunrise and west-facing beaches suit sunset; wet sand mirrors the sky color during golden hour.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:42 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 31m |
| February | 6:16 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 6:34 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:57 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 30m |
| June | 4:42 AM | 5:16 AM | 5:57 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:58 PM | 15h 08m |
| July | 4:56 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 52m |
| August | 5:29 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 51m |
| September | 6:02 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:27 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:37 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:08 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:18 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 53m |
| December | 6:37 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:52 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:52 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 Ocean Beach, 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 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:05 AM – 5:05 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:17 AM – 5:27 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:17 AM – 4:27 AM | 2.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:14 AM – 3:34 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:32 PM – 3:02 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:22 PM – 1:42 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:33 PM – 11:33 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:33 PM – 9:33 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:40 PM – 7:40 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: 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 ≈ 19.38 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 49% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 63 | 63 | 73 | 89 | 87 | 94 | 100 | 100 | 95 | 86 | 76 | 68 |
| Low °F | -10 | -12 | -1 | 21 | 33 | 40 | 51 | 51 | 41 | 23 | 10 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 4.3 |
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 beach
- Watch for sneaker waves; never turn your back on the ocean on exposed coasts.
- Salt spray coats lenses quickly; wipe often and rinse gear afterward.
- Fog and marine layers can make minimalist images; don't give up on grey days.
- Time visits around low tide to reveal tide pools, sea stacks and reflective sand — check the tide widget below.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Winter storms bring dramatic surf on Pacific coasts; summer and autumn sunsets are popular on Atlantic and Gulf beaches.
Suggested gear: Tripod, ND filters, Rain cover, Lens cloths. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is NEW LONDON, State Pier, 7.4 km (4.6 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Ocean Beach, closest first.
State Park
Lighthouse
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State Park
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State Park
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ocean Beach?
What time is golden hour at Ocean Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ocean Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ocean Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ocean Beach?
How far is Ocean Beach from Waterford?
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.