Located in Aleutians East Borough, Alaska, Cape Sarichef Light is a lighthouse. Its recorded tower height is about 7 m (23 ft). It dates from 1979.
Cape Sarichef Light is a lighthouse located on the northwest tip of Unimak Island, approximately 630 miles (1,010 km) southwest of Anchorage, Alaska. The most westerly and most isolated lighthouse in North America, Cape Sarichef Light marks the northwest end of Unimak Pass, the main passage through the Aleutian Islands between the Bering Sea and the Pacific Ocean. When it was first lit on July 1, 1904, it was Alaska's second coastal lighthouse (after Scotch Cap Light), and the only staffed U.S. lighthouse on the Bering Sea. Today, the lighthouse is automated, and the beacon is mounted on a skeleton tower. Cape Sarichef was named in 1816 by Russian explorer Otto von Kotzebue after Admiral Gavril Sarychev of the Imperial Russian Navy.From the Wikipedia article “Cape Sarichef Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cape Sarichef Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 45° (NE) at the June solstice and 132° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 315° (NW) in June to 228° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 59° in summer but only 12° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 9:02 AM | 89° E | 9:13 PM | 271° W | 35° | 12h 11m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:24 AM | 45° NE | 11:41 PM | 315° NW | 59° | 17h 17m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:46 AM | 89° E | 9:00 PM | 272° W | 36° | 12h 14m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:21 AM | 132° SE | 5:36 PM | 228° SW | 12° | 7h 15m |
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
Lighthouses work at both ends of the day: blue hour when the beacon is lit, and golden hour when white towers take on warm tones.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9:31 AM | 10:14 AM | 11:19 AM | 5:00 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:48 PM | 7h 52m |
| February | 8:44 AM | 9:22 AM | 10:14 AM | 6:15 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:45 PM | 9h 46m |
| March | 8:39 AM | 9:15 AM | 10:03 AM | 8:16 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:40 PM | 11h 49m |
| April | 7:19 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:46 AM | 9:14 PM | 10:03 PM | 10:42 PM | 14h 06m |
| May | 6:08 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:49 AM | 10:05 PM | 10:59 PM | 11:46 PM | 16h 05m |
| June | 5:27 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:24 AM | 10:38 PM | 11:38 PM | 12:35 AM | 17h 15m |
| July | 5:53 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:42 AM | 10:31 PM | 11:28 PM | 12:20 AM | 16h 44m |
| August | 6:56 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:27 AM | 9:43 PM | 10:33 PM | 11:15 PM | 14h 56m |
| September | 7:57 AM | 8:34 AM | 9:21 AM | 8:31 PM | 9:18 PM | 9:54 PM | 12h 44m |
| October | 8:53 AM | 9:29 AM | 10:19 AM | 7:13 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:39 PM | 10h 33m |
| November | 8:51 AM | 9:31 AM | 10:31 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:40 PM | 8h 28m |
| December | 9:32 AM | 10:17 AM | 11:29 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:19 PM | 7h 17m |
Local time (America/Anchorage), 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
At this latitude the summer nights are too short or too bright for the Milky Way core to stand high in true darkness; aim for star trails or the aurora.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| June | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| July | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -21° | — |
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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.95 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 88% average cloud cover) and April as the cloudiest (93%). August is the warmest month and March 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 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 47 | 56 | 59 | 65 | 64 | 62 | 52 | 48 | 45 |
| Low °F | 12 | 13 | 12 | 20 | 26 | 32 | 39 | 43 | 38 | 31 | 24 | 16 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.2 | 4.4 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 5.1 | 5.4 | 5.0 | 5.7 |
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 lighthouse
- Stormy weather and crashing surf add drama; keep a safe distance from waves on rocks and piers.
- A telephoto from across a bay compresses the tower against cliffs or the moon.
- Many lighthouses are on private or Coast Guard property — check public access and opening hours.
- Moonrise or the Milky Way over the tower makes a classic night composition; plan with the azimuth tables.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Summer brings open towers and tours; autumn and winter offer storms, fewer crowds and lower sun angles.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Telephoto lens, ND filter for smooth water, Rain cover. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Cape Sarichef, 200 m away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Cape Sarichef Light, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cape Sarichef Light?
What time is golden hour at Cape Sarichef Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cape Sarichef Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cape Sarichef Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cape Sarichef Light?
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.