Located in Washington County, Maine, Moose Peak Light Shalen’s New Home is a lighthouse. It sits roughly 8.3 km (5.2 mi) SE of Jonesport. Its recorded tower height is about 18 m (57 ft). It dates from 1827.
Moose Peak Light is a lighthouse on Mistake Island, just east of Great Wass Island, Maine at the southern entrance to Eastern Bay and five nautical miles southeast of Jonesport. It was first established in 1827. The present structure was built in 1851. Automated since 1972, the light was sold at auction in January 2013 to a private owner from Connecticut.From the Wikipedia article “Moose Peak Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Moose Peak Light Shalen’s New Home 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) | 6:34 AM | 90° E | 6:43 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:46 AM | 55° NE | 8:19 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 33m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:18 AM | 89° E | 6:30 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:04 AM | 123° ESE | 3:54 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 50m |
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 | 6:31 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:50 AM | 3:30 PM | 4:16 PM | 4:49 PM | 9h 13m |
| February | 6:01 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:12 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:29 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 6:15 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:22 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:05 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:17 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:26 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:45 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 4:30 AM | 5:04 AM | 5:46 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 47m |
| June | 4:09 AM | 4:46 AM | 5:30 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:54 PM | 15h 31m |
| July | 4:25 AM | 5:00 AM | 5:44 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:49 PM | 15h 13m |
| August | 5:02 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:09 PM | 14h 04m |
| September | 5:41 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:48 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:43 PM | 7:12 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:16 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:25 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:17 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 5:56 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:11 AM | 3:20 PM | 4:04 PM | 4:36 PM | 9h 37m |
| December | 6:27 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:48 AM | 3:04 PM | 3:52 PM | 4:25 PM | 8h 51m |
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 Moose Peak Light Shalen’s New Home, 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 1 (excellent dark-sky 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 | — | 7° | — |
| March | 4:23 AM – 5:03 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:21 AM – 3:51 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:27 AM – 2:47 AM | 2.3 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:45 PM – 2:15 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:31 PM – 12:51 AM | 2.3 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:31 PM – 10:51 PM | 1.3 | 16° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:22 PM – 8:52 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.93 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 54% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (79%). August 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 | 54 | 51 | 59 | 59 | 69 | 76 | 76 | 78 | 78 | 70 | 63 | 57 |
| Low °F | -5 | -6 | 2 | 21 | 35 | 42 | 51 | 51 | 43 | 32 | 14 | 2 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 5.9 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Steele Harbor Island, 2.3 km (1.4 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Moose Peak Light Shalen’s New Home, closest first.
State Park
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
National Wildlife Refuge
Lighthouse
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Moose Peak Light Shalen’s New Home?
What time is golden hour at Moose Peak Light Shalen’s New Home?
Where does the sun rise and set at Moose Peak Light Shalen’s New Home?
Can you see the Milky Way from Moose Peak Light Shalen’s New Home?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Moose Peak Light Shalen’s New Home?
How far is Moose Peak Light Shalen’s New Home from Jonesport?
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.