Located in Knox County, Maine, Matinicus Rock Light is a lighthouse. It is part of National Wildlife Refuge. It sits roughly 30 km (18 mi) S of Vinalhaven. Its recorded tower height is about 14 m (48 ft). It dates from 1827. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Matinicus Rock Light is a lighthouse on Matinicus Rock, a windswept rock 25 miles (40 km) off the coast of Maine. It is one of eleven seacoast lights off the coast of Maine. First established in 1827, the present surviving structures date to 1857. The lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Matinicus Rock Light Station on March 14, 1988.From the Wikipedia article “Matinicus Rock Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Matinicus Rock 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) | 6:40 AM | 90° E | 6:48 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:54 AM | 56° NE | 8:22 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:23 AM | 89° E | 6:35 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:07 AM | 123° ESE | 4:02 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 | 6:35 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:52 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:56 PM | 9h 17m |
| February | 6:06 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:16 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:10 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:23 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:32 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:49 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 4:38 AM | 5:11 AM | 5:52 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 43m |
| June | 4:18 AM | 4:54 AM | 5:38 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:56 PM | 15h 26m |
| July | 4:33 AM | 5:08 AM | 5:51 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:51 PM | 15h 08m |
| August | 5:09 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:12 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 5:47 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:53 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:17 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:21 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:22 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:00 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:14 AM | 3:28 PM | 4:11 PM | 4:42 PM | 9h 41m |
| December | 6:30 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:50 AM | 3:13 PM | 4:00 PM | 4:32 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 Matinicus Rock 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:27 AM – 5:07 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:23 AM – 4:03 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:27 AM – 2:57 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:42 PM – 2:22 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:29 PM – 1:09 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:32 PM – 11:02 PM | 1.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:26 PM – 9:06 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: 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 ≈ 21.81 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 52% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (82%). 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 | 54 | 50 | 53 | 53 | 63 | 67 | 72 | 71 | 69 | 65 | 63 | 58 |
| Low °F | 5 | 10 | 11 | 26 | 38 | 44 | 53 | 56 | 49 | 39 | 20 | 11 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.3 | 5.6 | 5.0 | 5.3 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 6.3 | 6.1 | 7.4 |
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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Launching or landing drones on National Wildlife Refuge lands generally requires a special use permit from the refuge manager, and wildlife disturbance rules apply everywhere.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Matinicus Harbor, Wheaton Island, 9.0 km (5.6 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Matinicus Rock Light, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Matinicus Rock Light?
What time is golden hour at Matinicus Rock Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Matinicus Rock Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Matinicus Rock Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Matinicus Rock Light?
How far is Matinicus Rock Light from Vinalhaven?
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.