Southwest Ledge Light is a lighthouse in Connecticut. It sits roughly 4.8 km (3.0 mi) SSE of West Haven. Its recorded tower height is about 14 m (46 ft). It dates from 1877. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Southwest Ledge Light is an active lighthouse marking the main entrance channel to the harbor of New Haven, Connecticut. Completed in 1877, it was one of the first to be built on a cylindrical iron foundation, an innovation by Maj. George H. Elliot to address shifting ice that is regarded to be very important in lighthouse design. The lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990 as Southwest Ledge Lighthouse.From the Wikipedia article “Southwest Ledge Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Southwest Ledge 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) | 6:56 AM | 90° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:20 AM | 57° ENE | 8:29 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 09m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:40 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 121° ESE | 4:26 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 12m |
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 | 6:45 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 32m |
| February | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 6:37 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:44 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:50 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 5:03 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 29m |
| June | 4:45 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:01 PM | 15h 08m |
| July | 5:00 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 52m |
| August | 5:32 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 51m |
| September | 6:05 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:31 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:36 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:40 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:11 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:22 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 53m |
| December | 6:40 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:55 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:56 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 Southwest Ledge 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 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | 5:09 AM – 5:09 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:21 AM – 5:31 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:21 AM – 4:31 AM | 2.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:18 AM – 3:38 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:36 PM – 3:06 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:26 PM – 1:46 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:37 PM – 11:37 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:37 PM – 9:37 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:44 PM – 7:44 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.73 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
- 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 Lighthouse Point, New Haven Harbor, 2.7 km (1.7 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Southwest Ledge Light, closest first.
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State Park
Botanical Garden
Mountain Peak
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Southwest Ledge Light?
What time is golden hour at Southwest Ledge Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Southwest Ledge Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Southwest Ledge Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Southwest Ledge Light?
How far is Southwest Ledge Light from West Haven?
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.