Aloha Tower — a lighthouse in Honolulu County, Hawaii — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. Its recorded tower height is about 56 m (184 ft). It dates from 1926. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Aloha Tower is a retired lighthouse that is considered one of the landmarks of the state of Hawaii in the United States. Opened on September 11, 1926, at a cost of $160,000 ($2,805,206 in 2024), the tower is at Pier 9 of Honolulu Harbor. It is a guiding beacon welcoming vessels to the City and County of Honolulu. Just as the Statue of Liberty greeted hundreds of thousands of immigrants each year to New York City, the Aloha Tower greeted hundreds of thousands of immigrants to Honolulu. At 10 stories and 184 feet (56 m) of height topped with 40 feet (12 m) of flag mast, Aloha Tower was Hawaii's tallest structure for four decades. It was built in the Hawaiian Gothic architectural style.From the Wikipedia article “Aloha Tower”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Aloha Tower the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 64° (ENE) at the June solstice and 115° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 296° (WNW) in June to 245° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 88° in summer but only 45° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:36 AM | 90° E | 6:43 PM | 270° W | 69° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:51 AM | 64° ENE | 7:17 PM | 296° WNW | 88° | 13h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:21 AM | 89° E | 6:29 PM | 271° W | 69° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:05 AM | 115° ESE | 5:55 PM | 245° WSW | 45° | 10h 50m |
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 | 6:48 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 59m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 27m |
| March | 6:19 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:04 PM | 12h 01m |
| April | 5:50 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:43 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:14 PM | 12h 38m |
| May | 5:30 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:27 PM | 13h 09m |
| June | 5:25 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:40 PM | 13h 25m |
| July | 5:34 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:30 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:42 PM | 13h 18m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:26 PM | 12h 52m |
| September | 5:57 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:06 PM | 6:36 PM | 6:58 PM | 12h 16m |
| October | 6:05 AM | 6:28 AM | 6:58 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:30 PM | 11h 40m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:15 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:14 PM | 11h 07m |
| December | 6:38 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 51m |
Local time (Pacific/Honolulu), 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 Aloha Tower, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 40° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 9 (inner-city 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 | — | 5° | — |
| February | 4:15 AM – 5:45 AM | 1.5 | 26° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:25 AM – 5:25 AM | 3.0 | 37° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:27 AM – 4:47 AM | 4.3 | 40° | SE → S |
| May | 10:24 PM – 4:24 AM | 6.0 | 40° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:40 PM – 4:20 AM | 7.7 | 40° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:40 PM – 2:50 AM | 6.2 | 40° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:20 PM – 12:50 AM | 4.5 | 40° | S → SW |
| September | 7:49 PM – 10:49 PM | 3.0 | 37° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:22 PM – 8:52 PM | 1.5 | 26° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| 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: 9 Bortle 9 — Inner-city sky. Only the Moon, planets and a few bright stars are visible. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 17.81 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 47% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (61%). September is the warmest month and February 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 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 83 | 83 | 85 | 85 | 84 | 83 | 80 |
| Low °F | 68 | 66 | 66 | 67 | 70 | 74 | 74 | 75 | 75 | 73 | 72 | 69 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.2 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 2.9 |
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 HONOLULU, 443 m away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Aloha Tower, closest first.
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VolcanoFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Aloha Tower?
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How far is Aloha Tower from Financial District?
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.