Burnt Island Light — a lighthouse in Lincoln County, Maine — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Boothbay Harbor, about 3.2 km (2.0 mi) away (Burnt Island Light lies SSW of town). Its recorded tower height is about 9 m (30 ft). It dates from 1821. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Burnt Island Light, built in 1821, is the second oldest surviving lighthouse in Maine. It hosts a living history museum run by the state Department of Marine Resources. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Burnt Island Light Station on November 23, 1977.From the Wikipedia article “Burnt Island Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Burnt Island Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:43 AM | 90° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:57 AM | 56° NE | 8:25 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:26 AM | 89° E | 6:38 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:10 AM | 123° ESE | 4:05 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 54m |
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 | 6:38 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:55 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:27 PM | 4:59 PM | 9h 17m |
| February | 6:09 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:38 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 6:23 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:45 PM | 7:14 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:26 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:35 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:52 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 4:41 AM | 5:14 AM | 5:55 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 44m |
| June | 4:20 AM | 4:57 AM | 5:41 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:59 PM | 15h 27m |
| July | 4:36 AM | 5:11 AM | 5:54 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:54 PM | 15h 09m |
| August | 5:12 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:16 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 5:50 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:56 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:20 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:24 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:26 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:03 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:17 AM | 3:31 PM | 4:14 PM | 4:45 PM | 9h 40m |
| December | 6:34 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:54 AM | 3:15 PM | 4:03 PM | 4:35 PM | 8h 56m |
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 Burnt Island Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 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 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 | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:31 AM – 5:11 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:27 AM – 4:07 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:31 AM – 3:01 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:46 PM – 2:26 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:33 PM – 1:13 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:36 PM – 11:06 PM | 1.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:30 PM – 9:10 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.23 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 49% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (73%). August 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 | 53 | 50 | 55 | 57 | 67 | 70 | 75 | 74 | 71 | 65 | 62 | 57 |
| Low °F | 2 | 8 | 9 | 25 | 37 | 45 | 54 | 56 | 50 | 39 | 19 | 10 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.9 | 5.1 | 4.8 | 5.1 | 4.1 | 5.0 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 6.2 | 5.7 | 6.7 |
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
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Boothbay Harbor, 2.9 km (1.8 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Burnt Island Light, closest first.
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LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Burnt Island Light?
What time is golden hour at Burnt Island Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Burnt Island Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Burnt Island Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Burnt Island Light?
How far is Burnt Island Light from Boothbay Harbor?
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.