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Northwest Passage Light — a lighthouse in Monroe County, Florida — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 13.8 km (8.6 mi) WNW of Key West.
The Northwest Passage Light was a lighthouse located eight miles (13 km) from Key West, Florida, at the entrance to the northwest channel to the Key West harbor. The first light was a lightship put on station in 1838. The lightship broke its moorings but survived the Great Havana Hurricane of 1846, which destroyed the Sand Key and Key West lighthouses. The United States Lighthouse Board requested funds to replace the lightship in 1852, citing the expense of maintaining it. The lightship was repaired and funding for a replacement lighthouse was delayed until 1854. The new lighthouse was completed in 1855.From the Wikipedia article “Northwest Passage Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Northwest Passage Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 64° (ENE) at the June solstice and 116° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 296° (WNW) in June to 245° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 89° in summer but only 42° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:32 AM | 90° E | 7:39 PM | 270° W | 65° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:40 AM | 64° ENE | 8:20 PM | 296° WNW | 89° | 13h 40m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:17 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 66° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:08 AM | 116° ESE | 5:45 PM | 245° WSW | 42° | 10h 36m |
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 | 6:50 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:25 PM | 10h 46m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 20m |
| March | 7:15 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:08 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 00m |
| April | 6:43 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:13 PM | 12h 44m |
| May | 6:20 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 20m |
| June | 6:14 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 39m |
| July | 6:23 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:45 PM | 13h 31m |
| August | 6:39 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 00m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:45 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 18m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 36m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:17 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 57m |
| December | 6:40 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 37m |
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 Northwest Passage Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 37° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| February | 4:30 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.2 | 23° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:33 AM – 6:13 AM | 2.7 | 33° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:39 AM – 5:39 AM | 4.0 | 37° | SE → S |
| May | 11:39 PM – 5:19 AM | 5.7 | 37° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:47 PM – 5:07 AM | 7.3 | 37° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:47 PM – 3:37 AM | 5.8 | 37° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:24 PM – 1:44 AM | 4.3 | 37° | S → SW |
| September | 8:50 PM – 11:40 PM | 2.8 | 34° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:18 PM – 9:38 PM | 1.3 | 24° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.53 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show April as the clearest month (about 37% average cloud cover) and September as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 80 | 80 | 82 | 85 | 85 | 88 | 88 | 89 | 88 | 86 | 84 | 81 |
| Low °F | 50 | 53 | 59 | 64 | 72 | 77 | 79 | 80 | 76 | 66 | 64 | 54 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 6.1 | 5.0 | 5.9 | 6.7 | 4.2 | 2.0 | 1.3 |
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.
- 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 Fleming Key, north end, 11.0 km (6.8 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Northwest Passage Light, closest first.
LighthouseLighthouse
State Park
Lighthouse
Beach
Botanical Garden
Lighthouse
National Wildlife RefugeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Northwest Passage Light?
What time is golden hour at Northwest Passage Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Northwest Passage Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Northwest Passage Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Northwest Passage Light?
How far is Northwest Passage Light from Key West?
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.