Chester Rock Light is a lighthouse in Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut. It sits roughly 2.2 km (1.4 mi) ENE of Deep River Center. Its recorded tower height is about 23 m (75 ft). It dates from 1912.
Chester Rock Light was a light in Chester, Connecticut on the Connecticut River. It was built in 1889 as part of a $15,000 appropriation by the United States Congress. The 21-foot (6.4 meter) tall wooden hexagonal pyramidal tower had a black lantern with a 6th order Fresnel lens. The light was first lit on July 1, 1889. The tower was replaced in 1912 by a skeleton tower that was subsequently modified in 1927. Records do not show the deactivation or destruction of the light, but it was believed to have been removed in the 1930s. In the 1990s, the Deep River Historical Society of Deep River, Connecticut wanted to build a replica of the structure for use as a daymark.From the Wikipedia article “Chester Rock Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Chester Rock Light 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) | 6:54 AM | 90° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:17 AM | 57° ENE | 8:27 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 10m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:38 AM | 89° E | 6:49 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:13 AM | 121° ESE | 4:24 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
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 | 6:44 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 31m |
| February | 6:17 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 6:35 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:42 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:48 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 5:00 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 30m |
| June | 4:43 AM | 5:16 AM | 5:58 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:59 PM | 15h 09m |
| July | 4:57 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 53m |
| August | 5:30 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 51m |
| September | 6:03 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:07 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:29 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:34 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:38 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:09 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:20 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 53m |
| December | 6:38 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:54 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:53 PM | 9h 12m |
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 Chester Rock Light, 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 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:19 AM – 5:19 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:20 AM – 4:20 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:18 AM – 3:28 AM | 3.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:36 PM – 3:06 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:26 PM – 1:36 AM | 3.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:37 PM – 11:37 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:36 PM – 9:36 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:43 PM – 7:43 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: 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 ≈ 20.09 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 lighthouse
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Hadlyme, 3.6 km (2.2 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Chester Rock Light, closest first.
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Ghost Town
Waterfall
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State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Chester Rock Light?
What time is golden hour at Chester Rock Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Chester Rock Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Chester Rock Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Chester Rock Light?
How far is Chester Rock Light from Deep River Center?
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.