Whaleback Light is a lighthouse in York County, Maine. The nearest town is New Castle, about 2.3 km (1.4 mi) away (Whaleback Light lies SE of town). Its recorded tower height is about 15 m (49 ft). It dates from 1830. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Whaleback Light is a historic lighthouse marking the mouth of the Piscataqua River in Kittery, Maine. It is located on a rocky outcrop offshore southwest of Fort Foster and south of Wood Island in Kittery. The present tower was built in 1872. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.From the Wikipedia article “Whaleback Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Whaleback Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (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 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:47 AM | 90° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:04 AM | 56° ENE | 8:26 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 22m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:31 AM | 89° E | 6:42 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:12 AM | 122° ESE | 4:11 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 00m |
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 | 6:41 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 21m |
| February | 6:12 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:43 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:18 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:32 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:40 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:55 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 4:48 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:19 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 39m |
| June | 4:28 AM | 5:04 AM | 5:47 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:25 PM | 9:00 PM | 15h 21m |
| July | 4:43 AM | 5:18 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:55 PM | 15h 04m |
| August | 5:19 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 5:55 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:01 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:23 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:28 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:23 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:30 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:06 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:19 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:51 PM | 9h 44m |
| December | 6:36 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:54 AM | 3:23 PM | 4:09 PM | 4:42 PM | 9h 01m |
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 Whaleback Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban 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 | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:24 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:28 AM – 4:08 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:30 AM – 3:10 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:42 PM – 2:42 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:31 PM – 1:21 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:36 PM – 11:16 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:32 PM – 9:22 PM | 0.8 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.8 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Gerrish Island, 877 m away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Whaleback Light, closest first.
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State ParkLighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Whaleback Light?
What time is golden hour at Whaleback Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Whaleback Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Whaleback Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Whaleback Light?
How far is Whaleback Light from New Castle?
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.