Portland Breakwater Light is a lighthouse in Cumberland County, Maine. The nearest town is South Portland, about 1.6 km (1.0 mi) away (Portland Breakwater Light lies NNE of town). Its recorded tower height is about 8 m (25 ft). It dates from 1855. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Portland Breakwater Light (also called Bug Light) is a small lighthouse in South Portland, Maine, United States.From the Wikipedia article “Portland Breakwater Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Portland Breakwater 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 304° (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) | 6:45 AM | 90° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:00 AM | 56° NE | 8:27 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:29 AM | 89° E | 6:40 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:12 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 | 7:12 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 18m |
| February | 6:11 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:41 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:29 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:37 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:54 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 4:44 AM | 5:17 AM | 5:58 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 43m |
| June | 4:24 AM | 5:00 AM | 5:43 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:25 PM | 9:01 PM | 15h 25m |
| July | 4:39 AM | 5:14 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:56 PM | 15h 08m |
| August | 5:15 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:18 PM | 14h 00m |
| September | 5:52 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:59 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:22 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:27 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:28 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:05 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:19 AM | 3:34 PM | 4:17 PM | 4:48 PM | 9h 41m |
| December | 6:36 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:55 AM | 3:19 PM | 4:05 PM | 4:38 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 Portland Breakwater 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 8 (city sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:33 AM – 5:13 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:29 AM – 4:09 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:33 AM – 3:03 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:48 PM – 2:28 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:35 PM – 1:15 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:38 PM – 11:08 PM | 1.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:32 PM – 9:12 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: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.33 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
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 PORTLAND, 801 m away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Portland Breakwater Light, closest first.
Lighthouse
Botanical Garden
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
WaterfallWaterfall
Covered Bridge
State Park
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Portland Breakwater Light?
What time is golden hour at Portland Breakwater Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Portland Breakwater Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Portland Breakwater Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Portland Breakwater Light?
How far is Portland Breakwater Light from South Portland?
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.