Located in Chatham County, Georgia, Tybee Island Lighthouse and Museum is a lighthouse. The nearest town is Tybee Island, about 2.4 km (1.5 mi) away (Tybee Island Lighthouse and Museum lies N of town). Its recorded tower height is about 44 m (144 ft). It dates from 1736.
The Tybee Island Light is a lighthouse located on the north end of Tybee Island, Georgia. It overlooks the Savannah River at the point where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean. The Tybee Light is one of seven surviving colonial-era lighthouse towers in the United States, but it was heavily modified during the mid-nineteenth century.From the Wikipedia article “Tybee Island Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Tybee Island Lighthouse and Museum 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) | 7:28 AM | 90° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:19 AM | 62° ENE | 8:33 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 15m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:12 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 118° ESE | 5:24 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 | 7:25 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 17m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:35 PM | 11h 04m |
| March | 7:10 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:07 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:56 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:30 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:18 PM | 12h 58m |
| May | 6:00 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 47m |
| June | 5:49 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 14m |
| July | 6:01 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:31 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 03m |
| August | 6:23 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 20m |
| September | 6:44 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 25m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:51 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 Tybee Island Lighthouse and Museum, 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 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.4 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (58%). 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 | 75 | 78 | 81 | 90 | 98 | 98 | 98 | 97 | 95 | 91 | 83 | 76 |
| Low °F | 20 | 25 | 29 | 40 | 52 | 63 | 69 | 68 | 55 | 39 | 29 | 25 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.4 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 5.6 | 5.3 | 6.0 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 2.4 | 3.4 |
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 Tybee Light, 1.1 km (0.7 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Tybee Island Lighthouse and Museum, closest first.
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LighthouseLighthouseFAQ
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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.