Kilauea Lighthouse is a lighthouse in Kauai County, Hawaii at about 53 m (174 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Kīlauea, about 2.5 km (1.6 mi) away (Kilauea Lighthouse lies NNE of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kilauea Lighthouse 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 89° in summer but only 44° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:42 AM | 90° E | 6:49 PM | 270° W | 68° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:55 AM | 64° ENE | 7:25 PM | 296° WNW | 89° | 13h 30m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:27 AM | 89° E | 6:35 PM | 271° W | 68° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:13 AM | 115° ESE | 6:00 PM | 245° WSW | 44° | 10h 46m |
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 | 6:56 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:39 PM | 10h 55m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:35 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 26m |
| March | 6:25 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:10 PM | 12h 01m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:48 AM | 6:28 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:21 PM | 12h 40m |
| May | 5:35 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:30 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:35 PM | 13h 12m |
| June | 5:29 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:27 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:49 PM | 13h 29m |
| July | 5:39 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:35 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:50 PM | 13h 22m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:46 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 54m |
| September | 6:03 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:04 PM | 12h 17m |
| October | 6:12 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:05 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:36 PM | 11h 39m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:24 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:19 PM | 11h 05m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:24 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 47m |
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 Kilauea Lighthouse, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 39° 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 | — | 4° | — |
| February | 4:31 AM – 5:51 AM | 1.3 | 25° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:42 AM – 5:22 AM | 2.7 | 35° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:35 AM – 4:55 AM | 4.3 | 39° | SE → S |
| May | 10:43 PM – 4:33 AM | 5.8 | 39° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:50 PM – 4:20 AM | 7.5 | 39° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:50 PM – 3:00 AM | 6.2 | 39° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:29 PM – 12:59 AM | 4.5 | 39° | S → SW |
| September | 7:57 PM – 10:57 PM | 3.0 | 36° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:28 PM – 8:58 PM | 1.5 | 26° | 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: 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 ≈ 20.79 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 50% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (69%). 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 | 78 | 78 | 78 | 81 | 81 | 83 | 83 | 84 | 83 | 81 | 80 |
| Low °F | 66 | 66 | 65 | 68 | 70 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 74 | 71 | 66 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 3.0 |
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
- A telephoto from across a bay compresses the tower against cliffs or the moon.
- 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 Hanalei Bay, 10.5 km (6.5 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Kilauea Lighthouse, closest first.
Lighthouse
National Wildlife Refuge
Beach
Waterfall
Botanical Garden
Beach
National Wildlife RefugeBeachWaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Kilauea Lighthouse?
What time is golden hour at Kilauea Lighthouse?
Where does the sun rise and set at Kilauea Lighthouse?
Can you see the Milky Way from Kilauea Lighthouse?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Kilauea Lighthouse?
How far is Kilauea Lighthouse from Kīlauea?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.