Gasperilla Island Lighthouse is a lighthouse in Lee County, Florida. The nearest town is Bokeelia, about 11.1 km (6.9 mi) away (Gasperilla Island Lighthouse lies WNW of town). Its recorded tower height is about 105 m (344 ft).
Wikidata describes it as: “lighthouse in Florida, United States of America”.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Gasperilla Island Lighthouse the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 63° (ENE) at the June solstice and 116° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 297° (WNW) in June to 244° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 87° in summer but only 40° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:34 AM | 90° E | 7:41 PM | 270° W | 63° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:37 AM | 63° ENE | 8:26 PM | 297° WNW | 87° | 13h 49m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:18 AM | 89° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 64° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:14 AM | 116° ESE | 5:42 PM | 244° WSW | 40° | 10h 27m |
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 | 6:55 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:24 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 38m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 16m |
| March | 7:16 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:10 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:01 PM | 11h 59m |
| April | 6:42 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:17 PM | 12h 48m |
| May | 6:17 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 27m |
| June | 6:10 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:51 PM | 13h 49m |
| July | 6:20 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:51 PM | 13h 40m |
| August | 6:37 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:33 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 06m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:35 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 20m |
| October | 7:06 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 33m |
| November | 6:25 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:22 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 50m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 28m |
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 Gasperilla Island Lighthouse, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 34° 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 | 4:40 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.0 | 21° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:45 AM – 6:15 AM | 2.5 | 31° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:44 AM – 5:44 AM | 4.0 | 34° | SE → S |
| May | 11:46 PM – 5:06 AM | 5.3 | 34° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:56 PM – 4:56 AM | 7.0 | 34° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:55 PM – 3:35 AM | 5.7 | 34° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:30 PM – 1:30 AM | 4.0 | 34° | S → SW |
| September | 8:53 PM – 11:33 PM | 2.7 | 31° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:19 PM – 9:29 PM | 1.2 | 22° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -17° | — |
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 ≈ 21.07 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (67%). 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 | 76 | 76 | 78 | 83 | 86 | 90 | 89 | 90 | 89 | 88 | 84 | 78 |
| Low °F | 42 | 46 | 50 | 58 | 68 | 74 | 78 | 79 | 74 | 60 | 54 | 50 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 3.6 | 7.2 | 6.6 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 3.5 | 2.2 | 2.5 |
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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Port Boca Grande, Charlotte Harbor, 2.5 km (1.5 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Gasperilla Island Lighthouse, closest first.
State Park
Lighthouse
National Wildlife Refuge
State ParkNational Wildlife Refuge
Lighthouse
State Park
State Park
BeachFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Gasperilla Island Lighthouse?
What time is golden hour at Gasperilla Island Lighthouse?
Where does the sun rise and set at Gasperilla Island Lighthouse?
Can you see the Milky Way from Gasperilla Island Lighthouse?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Gasperilla Island Lighthouse?
How far is Gasperilla Island Lighthouse from Bokeelia?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata. 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.