Mary Island Light is a lighthouse in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska. The nearest town is Metlakatla, about 25 km (16 mi) away (Mary Island Light lies E of town). It dates from 1903. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Mary Island Light Station is a lighthouse located on the northeastern part of Mary Island in southeastern Alaska, United States.From the Wikipedia article “Mary Island Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mary Island Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 44° (NE) at the June solstice and 133° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 316° (NW) in June to 228° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 58° in summer but only 11° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:48 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 35° | 12h 11m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:05 AM | 44° NE | 9:29 PM | 316° NW | 58° | 17h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:31 AM | 89° E | 6:45 PM | 272° W | 35° | 12h 14m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:09 AM | 133° SE | 3:18 PM | 228° SW | 11° | 7h 09m |
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 | 7:18 AM | 8:02 AM | 9:09 AM | 2:41 PM | 3:48 PM | 4:31 PM | 7h 46m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 7:08 AM | 8:02 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 43m |
| March | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 48m |
| April | 5:02 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 07m |
| May | 3:49 AM | 4:37 AM | 5:33 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:35 PM | 16h 10m |
| June | 3:07 AM | 4:05 AM | 5:07 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:27 PM | 10:25 PM | 17h 22m |
| July | 3:33 AM | 4:26 AM | 5:25 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:16 PM | 10:09 PM | 16h 50m |
| August | 4:38 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:20 PM | 9:02 PM | 15h 00m |
| September | 5:41 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:16 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 46m |
| October | 6:38 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:24 PM | 10h 32m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:20 AM | 2:41 PM | 3:42 PM | 4:23 PM | 8h 24m |
| December | 7:20 AM | 8:05 AM | 9:19 AM | 2:02 PM | 3:16 PM | 4:02 PM | 7h 11m |
Local time (America/Juneau), 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 | — | -1° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.94 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 1.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show February as the clearest month (about 71% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (82%). August is the warmest month and February 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 | 45 | 43 | 58 | 68 | 74 | 85 | 85 | 83 | 75 | 66 | 51 | 46 |
| Low °F | -14 | -3 | -5 | 11 | 23 | 37 | 43 | 43 | 35 | 17 | -4 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 13.4 | 9.0 | 9.1 | 7.9 | 6.1 | 6.3 | 7.2 | 9.3 | 12.4 | 14.1 | 13.5 | 12.3 |
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 lighthouse
- 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.
- During blue hour, use 5–15 second exposures to capture the beam; check whether the light is still active.
- Shoot from the beach or a jetty to place the tower against open sky and sea.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Custom House Cove, Mary Island, 2.3 km (1.4 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Mary Island Light, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mary Island Light?
What time is golden hour at Mary Island Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mary Island Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mary Island Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mary Island Light?
How far is Mary Island Light from Metlakatla?
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.