Cape Canaveral Light is a lighthouse in Brevard County, Florida. The nearest town is Cape Canaveral, about 8.5 km (5.3 mi) away (Cape Canaveral Light lies NE of town). Its recorded tower height is about 46 m (151 ft). It dates from 1859.
The Cape Canaveral Light is a historic lighthouse on the east coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The light was established in 1848 to warn ships of the dangerous shoals that lie off its coast. It is located inside the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and managed by the Space Launch Delta 45 of the U.S. Space Force with the assistance of the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse Foundation. It is the only fully operational lighthouse owned by the United States Space Force. The United States Coast Guard currently maintain the light as an active navigation aid. The current 151-foot (46 m) lighthouse tower was first erected and lit in 1868 then relocated further inland between 1893 and 1894. It was originally equipped with a first-order Fresnel lens that was automated in 1967 and then retired from the tower in 1993.From the Wikipedia article “Cape Canaveral Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cape Canaveral Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 63° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 244° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 85° in summer but only 38° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:27 AM | 90° E | 7:34 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:26 AM | 63° ENE | 8:23 PM | 298° WNW | 85° | 13h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 62° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:11 AM | 117° ESE | 5:31 PM | 244° WSW | 38° | 10h 20m |
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 | 6:51 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 32m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:37 PM | 11h 12m |
| March | 7:09 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:04 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:55 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:33 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:29 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:12 PM | 12h 51m |
| May | 6:07 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 34m |
| June | 5:58 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 57m |
| July | 6:09 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 47m |
| August | 6:28 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 10m |
| September | 6:44 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:00 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 30m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 45m |
| December | 6:42 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 21m |
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 Cape Canaveral Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 33° 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 | — | 3° | — |
| February | 4:32 AM – 5:32 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:49 AM – 6:09 AM | 2.3 | 29° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:40 AM – 5:30 AM | 3.8 | 33° | SE → S |
| May | 11:45 PM – 4:55 AM | 5.2 | 33° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:56 PM – 4:46 AM | 6.8 | 33° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:54 PM – 3:24 AM | 5.5 | 33° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:27 PM – 1:17 AM | 3.8 | 33° | S → SW |
| September | 8:48 PM – 11:18 PM | 2.5 | 30° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:12 PM – 9:22 PM | 1.2 | 21° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 20.83 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show April as the clearest month (about 43% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (58%). August 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 | 82 | 84 | 87 | 89 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 93 | 91 | 89 | 85 | 82 |
| Low °F | 38 | 39 | 45 | 53 | 61 | 71 | 74 | 74 | 71 | 52 | 49 | 36 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 4.2 | 8.3 | 7.1 | 7.8 | 7.3 | 4.3 | 2.3 | 2.6 |
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
- 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.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Cape Canaveral, 3.8 km (2.3 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Cape Canaveral Light, closest first.
Lighthouse
Beach
National Wildlife Refuge
BeachFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cape Canaveral Light?
What time is golden hour at Cape Canaveral Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cape Canaveral Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cape Canaveral Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cape Canaveral Light?
How far is Cape Canaveral Light from Cape Canaveral?
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.