Savannah Light is a lighthouse in Chatham County, Georgia. The nearest town is Tybee Island, about 16.5 km (10.3 mi) away (Savannah Light lies ESE of town).
Savannah Lighthouse was a lighthouse in Georgia, United States, off the entrance to Savannah River, Georgia. It was the second tower to be demolished after a collision with a foreign-flagged freighter.From the Wikipedia article “Savannah Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Savannah Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 35° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:27 AM | 90° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:18 AM | 62° ENE | 8:32 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 14m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:12 AM | 89° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 118° ESE | 5:23 PM | 243° WSW | 35° | 10h 03m |
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 | 6:58 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 17m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:35 PM | 11h 04m |
| March | 7:09 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:56 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:30 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:17 PM | 12h 57m |
| May | 6:00 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 47m |
| June | 5:49 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:31 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 14m |
| July | 6:00 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:31 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 03m |
| August | 6:22 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 20m |
| September | 6:43 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 25m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 32m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:48 PM | 10h 04m |
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 Savannah Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 29° 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 | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:52 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:03 AM – 6:03 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:58 AM – 5:28 AM | 3.5 | 29° | SE → S |
| May | 11:57 PM – 4:47 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:11 PM – 4:31 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:08 PM – 3:08 AM | 5.0 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:37 PM – 1:07 AM | 3.5 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 8:53 PM – 11:03 PM | 2.2 | 26° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:13 PM – 9:03 PM | 0.8 | 18° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.47 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show April as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and February 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 | 70 | 69 | 72 | 79 | 84 | 87 | 88 | 88 | 87 | 85 | 78 | 72 |
| Low °F | 32 | 35 | 43 | 50 | 60 | 69 | 76 | 75 | 68 | 54 | 46 | 38 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 3.4 | 6.2 | 4.9 | 6.2 | 4.7 | 3.6 | 2.2 | 3.1 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Tybee Creek entrance, 16.4 km (10.2 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Savannah Light, closest first.
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National Wildlife RefugeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Savannah Light?
What time is golden hour at Savannah Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Savannah Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Savannah Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Savannah Light?
How far is Savannah Light from Tybee Island?
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.