Blue Hill Bay Light — a lighthouse in Hancock County, Maine — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 11.2 km (7.0 mi) ESE of Sedgwick. Its recorded tower height is about 6 m (21 ft). It dates from 1857.
Blue Hill Bay Light is a lighthouse on Green Island in Blue Hill Bay, Maine. It was first established in 1857. The present skeleton structure was built in 1935. It is also known as "Sand Island Light" or “Eggemoggin Light". The original 1857 structure still stands near the current light. It is a white cylindrical tower with an attached keeper's residence. The lighthouse and cottage were purchased, as part of the purchase of Green Island and its associated land, in 2018 by Green Island Lighthouse, LLC.From the Wikipedia article “Blue Hill Bay Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Blue Hill Bay Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:38 AM | 90° E | 6:46 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:51 AM | 55° NE | 8:22 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:22 AM | 89° E | 6:33 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:07 AM | 123° ESE | 3:58 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 51m |
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 | 6:35 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:53 AM | 3:35 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:53 PM | 9h 14m |
| February | 6:05 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:16 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 6:19 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:09 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:21 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:30 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:48 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 4:35 AM | 5:08 AM | 5:50 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 46m |
| June | 4:14 AM | 4:50 AM | 5:35 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:57 PM | 15h 30m |
| July | 4:30 AM | 5:05 AM | 5:48 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:52 PM | 15h 12m |
| August | 5:07 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:12 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 5:45 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:52 AM | 6:08 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:16 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:21 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 5:59 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:14 AM | 3:25 PM | 4:09 PM | 4:40 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 6:30 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:51 AM | 3:09 PM | 3:56 PM | 4:30 PM | 8h 53m |
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 Blue Hill Bay Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:27 AM – 5:07 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:24 AM – 3:54 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:30 AM – 3:00 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:47 PM – 2:17 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:32 PM – 1:02 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:33 PM – 11:03 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:26 PM – 8:56 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.86 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 53% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (72%). 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 | 53 | 51 | 72 | 73 | 81 | 88 | 89 | 93 | 94 | 79 | 64 | 60 |
| Low °F | -19 | -19 | -13 | 15 | 29 | 38 | 49 | 47 | 36 | 24 | 6 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 5.4 | 4.7 | 4.7 |
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.
- 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 Center Harbor, 7.2 km (4.5 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Blue Hill Bay Light, closest first.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lake
Fire Lookout
Waterfall
Scenic Viewpoint
LighthouseWaterfall
LighthouseCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Seawall Campground15.6 km (9.7 mi) · reservable
- Blackwoods Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Duck Harbor Campground27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Blue Hill Bay Light?
What time is golden hour at Blue Hill Bay Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Blue Hill Bay Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Blue Hill Bay Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Blue Hill Bay Light?
How far is Blue Hill Bay Light from Sedgwick?
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.