Two Bush Island Light is a lighthouse in Knox County, Maine. The nearest town is South Thomaston, about 10.6 km (6.6 mi) away (Two Bush Island Light lies SSE of town). Its recorded tower height is about 13 m (43 ft). It dates from 1897.
Two Bush Island Light is a lighthouse on Two Bush Island, on the channel of the same name, the southwestern entrance to Penobscot Bay, Maine, United States. The two bushes for which the island was named have long since vanished. The lighthouse was established in 1897. The keepers were removed when the light was automated in 1964. Afterward, the Two Bush Island fog signal was operated by the keepers at nearby Whitehead Light Station, who also monitored the light. The keeper's house was destroyed in 1970 as a Green Beret demolition exercise. In the summer of 2000, the light was converted to solar power. The lighthouse itself continues to be a navigation aid, but is only visible by boat or from the air. In 1998, the lighthouse became the property of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.From the Wikipedia article “Two Bush Island Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Two Bush Island 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 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 23° 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 | 8:23 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:24 AM | 89° E | 6:36 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:08 AM | 123° ESE | 4:02 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 53m |
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 | 6:36 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:54 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:56 PM | 9h 16m |
| February | 6:07 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:17 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:36 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 6:21 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:43 PM | 7:11 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:24 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:33 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:50 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 4:38 AM | 5:11 AM | 5:53 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 44m |
| June | 4:18 AM | 4:54 AM | 5:38 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:58 PM | 15h 28m |
| July | 4:33 AM | 5:08 AM | 5:51 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:53 PM | 15h 10m |
| August | 5:10 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:14 PM | 14h 01m |
| 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 | 7:30 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:23 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:01 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:15 AM | 3:28 PM | 4:12 PM | 4:43 PM | 9h 40m |
| December | 6:32 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:52 AM | 3:13 PM | 4:00 PM | 4:33 PM | 8h 55m |
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 Two Bush Island 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 3 (rural sky), 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.64 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 49% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (73%). August is the warmest month and February 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 | 53 | 50 | 55 | 57 | 67 | 70 | 75 | 74 | 71 | 65 | 62 | 57 |
| Low °F | 2 | 8 | 9 | 25 | 37 | 45 | 54 | 56 | 50 | 39 | 19 | 10 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.9 | 5.1 | 4.8 | 5.1 | 4.1 | 5.0 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 6.2 | 5.7 | 6.7 |
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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Tenants Harbor, 11.4 km (7.1 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Two Bush Island Light, closest first.
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LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Two Bush Island Light?
What time is golden hour at Two Bush Island Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Two Bush Island Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Two Bush Island Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Two Bush Island Light?
How far is Two Bush Island Light from South Thomaston?
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.