Located in Washington County, Maine, Petit Manan Light is a lighthouse. It is part of National Wildlife Refuge. It sits roughly 17.9 km (11.1 mi) SSE of Steuben. Its recorded tower height is about 36 m (118 ft). It dates from 1817. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Petit Manan Light is a lighthouse on Petit Manan Island, Maine. The island is at the end of a series of ledges extending out from Petit Manan Point, between Dyer Bay and Pigeon Hill Bay, that projects into the Gulf of Maine.From the Wikipedia article “Petit Manan Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Petit Manan Light 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) | 6:36 AM | 90° E | 6:44 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:48 AM | 55° NE | 8:20 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:19 AM | 89° E | 6:31 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:05 AM | 123° ESE | 3:55 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 | 6:32 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:51 AM | 3:32 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:50 PM | 9h 13m |
| February | 6:03 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:13 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:30 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 6:16 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:07 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:18 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:27 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:46 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 4:32 AM | 5:05 AM | 5:47 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:26 PM | 14h 47m |
| June | 4:11 AM | 4:47 AM | 5:32 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:55 PM | 15h 31m |
| July | 4:26 AM | 5:02 AM | 5:45 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:50 PM | 15h 12m |
| August | 5:04 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:10 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 5:42 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:06 PM | 6:44 PM | 7:13 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:26 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:18 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 5:57 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:12 AM | 3:22 PM | 4:06 PM | 4:37 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 6:28 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:49 AM | 3:06 PM | 3:53 PM | 4:27 PM | 8h 52m |
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 Petit Manan Light, 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:24 AM – 5:04 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:21 AM – 3:51 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:27 AM – 2:57 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:44 PM – 2:14 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:29 PM – 12:59 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:30 PM – 11:00 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:23 PM – 8:53 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.91 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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 Green Island, Petit Manan Bar, 641 m away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Petit Manan Light, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Scenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Schoodic Woods Campground16.3 km (10.1 mi) · reservable
- Blackwoods Campground28 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Petit Manan Light?
What time is golden hour at Petit Manan Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Petit Manan Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Petit Manan Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Petit Manan Light?
How far is Petit Manan Light from Steuben?
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.