Little Mark Island Monument — a lighthouse in Cumberland County, Maine — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 11.0 km (6.8 mi) SSW of Harpswell Center. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Little Mark Island Monument is a historic day beacon and shipwreck refuge on Little Mark Island in northern Casco Bay off the southern coast of the United States state of Maine. The monument, a pyramidal stone structure built in 1827, is one of only three such structures ever built in the state, and is now topped by a beacon light. It is owned and managed by the United States Coast Guard, and is an active aid to navigation. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.From the Wikipedia article “Little Mark Island Monument”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Little Mark Island Monument 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) | 6:44 AM | 90° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:59 AM | 56° NE | 8:26 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:28 AM | 89° E | 6:39 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:11 AM | 123° ESE | 4:07 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 55m |
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 | 7:11 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 17m |
| February | 6:10 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:20 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:40 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:08 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:28 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:37 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:53 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 4:43 AM | 5:16 AM | 5:57 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 43m |
| June | 4:23 AM | 4:59 AM | 5:42 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:24 PM | 9:00 PM | 15h 26m |
| July | 4:38 AM | 5:13 AM | 5:55 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:55 PM | 15h 08m |
| August | 5:14 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:17 PM | 14h 00m |
| September | 5:51 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:58 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:21 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:26 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:27 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:04 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:18 AM | 3:33 PM | 4:16 PM | 4:47 PM | 9h 41m |
| December | 6:35 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:55 AM | 3:18 PM | 4:04 PM | 4:37 PM | 8h 57m |
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 Little Mark Island Monument, 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 | 4:32 AM – 5:12 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:28 AM – 4:08 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:32 AM – 3:02 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:47 PM – 2:27 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:34 PM – 1:14 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:37 PM – 11:07 PM | 1.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:31 PM – 9:11 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 ≈ 20.96 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 South Harpswell, Potts Harbor, 3.3 km (2.1 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Little Mark Island Monument, closest first.
Waterfall
Lighthouse
Scenic Viewpoint
State Park
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LighthouseWaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Little Mark Island Monument?
What time is golden hour at Little Mark Island Monument?
Where does the sun rise and set at Little Mark Island Monument?
Can you see the Milky Way from Little Mark Island Monument?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Little Mark Island Monument?
How far is Little Mark Island Monument from Harpswell Center?
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.