Owls Head Light — a lighthouse in Knox County, Maine — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Owls Head, about 1.5 km (0.9 mi) away (Owls Head Light lies NE of town). Its recorded tower height is about 9 m (30 ft). It dates from 1825. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Owls Head Light is an active aid to navigation located at the entrance of Rockland Harbor on western Penobscot Bay in the town of Owls Head, Knox County, Maine. The lighthouse is owned by the U.S. Coast Guard and licensed to the American Lighthouse Foundation. It is the centerpiece of 13-acre (5.3 ha) Owls Head State Park and was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Owls Head Light Station in 1978.From the Wikipedia article “Owls Head Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Owls Head 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 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) | 6:40 AM | 90° E | 6:49 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:54 AM | 56° NE | 8:24 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 30m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:24 AM | 89° E | 6:36 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:09 AM | 123° ESE | 4:01 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 52m |
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 | 6:37 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:54 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:56 PM | 9h 15m |
| February | 6:07 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:17 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:36 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 6:21 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:11 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:23 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:32 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:50 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 4:37 AM | 5:11 AM | 5:53 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 45m |
| June | 4:17 AM | 4:53 AM | 5:37 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:58 PM | 15h 29m |
| July | 4:32 AM | 5:07 AM | 5:51 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:53 PM | 15h 10m |
| August | 5:09 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:14 PM | 14h 02m |
| September | 5:47 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:18 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:23 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:01 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:16 AM | 3:28 PM | 4:11 PM | 4:42 PM | 9h 39m |
| December | 6:32 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:53 AM | 3:12 PM | 3:59 PM | 4:32 PM | 8h 54m |
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 Owls Head 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:29 AM – 5:09 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:25 AM – 4:05 AM | 1.7 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:30 AM – 3:00 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:46 PM – 2:26 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:32 PM – 1:02 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:34 PM – 11:04 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:27 PM – 8:57 PM | 0.5 | 13° | 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 ≈ 21.0 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 52% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (67%). 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 | 55 | 51 | 75 | 78 | 84 | 90 | 93 | 96 | 97 | 81 | 67 | 63 |
| Low °F | -28 | -27 | -21 | 13 | 27 | 36 | 47 | 45 | 33 | 22 | 3 | -22 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 4.9 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 5.5 | 4.7 | 4.5 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Rockland, 4.8 km (3.0 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Owls Head Light, closest first.
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LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Owls Head Light?
What time is golden hour at Owls Head Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Owls Head Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Owls Head Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Owls Head Light?
How far is Owls Head Light from Owls Head?
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.