Located in Cumberland County, Maine, Spring Point Ledge Light is a lighthouse. It sits roughly 1.8 km (1.1 mi) NE of South Portland. It dates from 1897. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Spring Point Ledge Light is a sparkplug lighthouse in South Portland, Maine, which marks a dangerous obstruction on the west side of the main shipping channel into Portland Harbor. It is now adjacent to the campus of Southern Maine Community College. It was constructed in 1897 and automated in 1960.From the Wikipedia article “Spring Point Ledge Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Spring Point Ledge 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 56m |
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 | 7:38 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:56 PM | 15h 07m |
| August | 5:15 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:17 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 | 6:35 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 Spring Point Ledge 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
- 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.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is PORTLAND, 1.8 km (1.1 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Spring Point Ledge Light, closest first.
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LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Spring Point Ledge Light?
What time is golden hour at Spring Point Ledge Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Spring Point Ledge Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Spring Point Ledge Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Spring Point Ledge Light?
How far is Spring Point Ledge 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.