Cape St. Elias Light is a lighthouse in Chugach Census Area, Alaska. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Cape St. Elias Light is a lighthouse on Kayak Island in Alaska.From the Wikipedia article “Cape St. Elias Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cape St. Elias Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 36° (NE) at the June solstice and 140° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 325° (NW) in June to 220° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 54° in summer but only 7° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:40 AM | 89° E | 7:53 PM | 272° W | 30° | 12h 12m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:17 AM | 36° NE | 11:05 PM | 325° NW | 54° | 18h 47m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:24 AM | 88° E | 7:40 PM | 272° W | 30° | 12h 16m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 9:39 AM | 140° SE | 3:35 PM | 220° SW | 7° | 5h 56m |
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 | 8:33 AM | 9:25 AM | 10:57 AM | 2:40 PM | 4:12 PM | 5:04 PM | 6h 47m |
| February | 7:33 AM | 8:16 AM | 9:20 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:31 PM | 6:14 PM | 9h 14m |
| March | 7:14 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:51 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:22 PM | 11h 45m |
| April | 5:36 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:41 PM | 14h 33m |
| May | 4:00 AM | 5:02 AM | 6:09 AM | 9:02 PM | 10:09 PM | 11:12 PM | 17h 06m |
| June | 2:39 AM | 4:18 AM | 5:36 AM | 9:44 PM | 11:02 PM | 12:41 AM | 18h 44m |
| July | 3:29 AM | 4:45 AM | 5:57 AM | 9:33 PM | 10:45 PM | 12:01 AM | 18h 00m |
| August | 5:04 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:54 AM | 8:33 PM | 9:33 PM | 10:23 PM | 15h 38m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 7:08 AM | 8:02 AM | 7:07 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:43 PM | 12h 54m |
| October | 7:36 AM | 8:18 AM | 9:17 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:31 PM | 7:13 PM | 10h 13m |
| November | 7:48 AM | 8:36 AM | 9:55 AM | 2:53 PM | 4:12 PM | 5:00 PM | 7h 35m |
| December | 8:38 AM | 9:35 AM | 11:34 AM | 1:35 PM | 3:34 PM | 4:31 PM | 6h 00m |
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
The Milky Way's bright core (in Sagittarius) barely clears the southern horizon at this latitude, so focus on winter Milky Way, aurora or star trails instead.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -11° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -11° | — |
| 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 0.5+ 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 82% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (91%). 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 | 47 | 46 | 47 | 51 | 59 | 60 | 64 | 66 | 61 | 57 | 52 | 49 |
| Low °F | 22 | 25 | 24 | 29 | 36 | 43 | 47 | 50 | 44 | 35 | 28 | 26 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.6 | 6.2 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 2.9 | 3.8 | 6.2 | 8.4 | 7.9 | 7.4 | 7.5 |
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 lighthouse
- Shoot from the beach or a jetty to place the tower against open sky and sea.
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cape St. Elias Light?
What time is golden hour at Cape St. Elias Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cape St. Elias Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cape St. Elias Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cape St. Elias Light?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, OpenStreetMap contributors, 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.