Fenwick Island Light — a lighthouse in Sussex County, Delaware — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 9.8 km (6.1 mi) S of Bethany Beach. Its recorded tower height is about 26 m (85 ft). It dates from 1858. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Fenwick Island Lighthouse is a lighthouse in Delaware, United States, on the Delaware/Maryland state line. The structure dates back to 1858 making it the oldest lighthouse in the state of Delaware.From the Wikipedia article “Fenwick Island Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Fenwick Island Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:05 AM | 90° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 59° ENE | 8:28 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 51m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:49 AM | 89° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 120° ESE | 4:43 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 29m |
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 | 6:48 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 47m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 6:46 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:20 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 15m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 50m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 36m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:43 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:17 PM | 10h 06m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 30m |
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 Fenwick Island Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 4:57 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:16 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:11 AM – 4:41 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:12 AM – 4:02 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:24 PM – 3:34 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:17 PM – 2:07 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:35 PM – 12:05 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:40 PM – 10:10 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:51 PM – 8:11 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.17 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 51% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 72 | 74 | 78 | 88 | 92 | 99 | 103 | 101 | 97 | 95 | 78 | 74 |
| Low °F | 1 | 2 | 11 | 25 | 35 | 49 | 55 | 55 | 45 | 32 | 22 | 14 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 3.8 |
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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Little Assawoman Bay, 503 m away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Fenwick Island Light, closest first.
Beach
State Park
Lighthouse
State ParkBeach
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Fenwick Island Light?
What time is golden hour at Fenwick Island Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Fenwick Island Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Fenwick Island Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Fenwick Island Light?
How far is Fenwick Island Light from Bethany Beach?
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.