Located in Osage County, Kansas, Pomona State Park Lighthouse Bay Marina is a lighthouse at about 297 m (974 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Lyndon, about 9.5 km (5.9 mi) away (Pomona State Park Lighthouse Bay Marina lies ENE of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pomona State Park Lighthouse Bay Marina the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:27 AM | 90° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:59 AM | 59° ENE | 8:51 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 52m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:37 AM | 120° ESE | 5:05 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 28m |
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 | 7:10 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:54 PM | 9h 46m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:28 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 7:08 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:56 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:19 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:24 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:41 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 17m |
| June | 5:26 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:38 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:21 PM | 14h 51m |
| July | 5:40 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:49 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 37m |
| August | 6:09 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:38 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:05 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:45 PM | 7:12 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:39 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:16 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 29m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Pomona State Park Lighthouse Bay Marina, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° 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 | 5:29 AM – 5:39 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:38 AM – 5:58 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:34 AM – 5:04 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:35 AM – 4:15 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:47 PM – 3:57 AM | 5.2 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:40 PM – 2:30 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:57 PM – 12:27 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 9:02 PM – 10:22 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:13 PM – 8:33 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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 ≈ 21.52 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (60%). 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 | 73 | 75 | 83 | 90 | 94 | 106 | 112 | 113 | 107 | 94 | 80 | 73 |
| Low °F | -10 | -3 | -2 | 19 | 31 | 46 | 53 | 49 | 39 | 20 | 9 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 3.9 | 5.6 | 5.5 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 1.7 | 1.6 |
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Pomona State Park Lighthouse Bay Marina, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Wolf Creek (Ks)3.1 km (1.9 mi) · reservable
- Outlet (Pomona Lake)3.1 km (1.9 mi) · reservable
- Michigan Valley3.9 km (2.4 mi) · reservable
- Carbolyn Park7.8 km (4.8 mi) · reservable
- Outlet(Melvern)18.7 km (11.6 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pomona State Park Lighthouse Bay Marina?
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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.