Located in York County, Maine, Goat Island Light is a lighthouse. It sits roughly 4.2 km (2.6 mi) E of Kennebunkport. Its recorded tower height is about 8 m (25 ft). It dates from 1835. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Goat Island Light is a lighthouse located off Cape Porpoise near Kennebunkport in southern Maine. Goat Island Light was established in 1835 to guard the entrance to Cape Porpoise Harbor. The original station was upgraded in 1859 to the current brick tower with a fifth order Fresnel lens. Keeper's quarters were added to the island in 1860. The light station was automated by the United States Coast Guard in 1990 and is currently active. The keepers dwellings and tower are leased to the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust. Goat Island Light can be seen from shore in Cape Porpoise Harbor just off State Route 9 north of Kennebunkport or is viewable by boat. The island is currently closed to the public except by special arrangement.From the Wikipedia article “Goat Island Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Goat Island Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (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) | 6:46 AM | 90° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:02 AM | 56° NE | 8:26 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:30 AM | 89° E | 6:41 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:12 AM | 122° ESE | 4:09 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 58m |
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 | 6:40 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 19m |
| February | 6:12 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 6:26 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:30 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:38 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:54 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 4:46 AM | 5:18 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 41m |
| June | 4:26 AM | 5:01 AM | 5:45 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:25 PM | 9:00 PM | 15h 23m |
| July | 4:41 AM | 5:15 AM | 5:58 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:55 PM | 15h 06m |
| August | 5:17 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 59m |
| September | 5:53 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:59 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:23 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:27 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:21 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:29 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:05 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:19 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:49 PM | 9h 43m |
| December | 6:35 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:55 AM | 3:21 PM | 4:07 PM | 4:40 PM | 8h 59m |
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 Goat Island Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° 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 | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:24 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:28 AM – 4:08 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:31 AM – 3:11 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:44 PM – 2:34 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:32 PM – 1:22 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:36 PM – 11:16 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:31 PM – 9:11 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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 ≈ 20.61 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 50% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 60 | 61 | 73 | 85 | 83 | 89 | 90 | 95 | 94 | 79 | 68 | 62 |
| Low °F | -11 | -12 | -6 | 18 | 31 | 40 | 51 | 48 | 39 | 25 | 8 | -9 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 5.4 | 4.7 | 5.0 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Cape Porpoise, 1.1 km (0.7 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Goat Island Light, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
Lighthouse
Waterfall
BeachWaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Goat Island Light?
What time is golden hour at Goat Island Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Goat Island Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Goat Island Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Goat Island Light?
How far is Goat Island Light from Kennebunkport?
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.