Winter Harbor Light is a lighthouse in Hancock County, Maine. The nearest town is Castine, about 9.8 km (6.1 mi) away (Winter Harbor Light lies SSE of town). Its recorded tower height is about 6 m (20 ft). It dates from 1856. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Winter Harbor Light is a lighthouse in Winter Harbor, Maine. It is located on Mark Island, a small island between the Schoodic Peninsula and Turtle Island, near the entry to the town's main harbor. The light was built in 1856 and was deactivated in 1933; it is no longer an aid to navigation, and is privately owned. The light was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Winter Harbor Light Station on February 1, 1988.From the Wikipedia article “Winter Harbor Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Winter Harbor 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) | 6:39 AM | 90° E | 6:47 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:52 AM | 55° NE | 8:23 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:23 AM | 89° E | 6:34 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:08 AM | 123° ESE | 3:59 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 51m |
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 | 3:36 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:54 PM | 9h 14m |
| February | 6:06 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:17 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:34 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:10 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:22 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:31 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:49 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 4:35 AM | 5:09 AM | 5:51 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 46m |
| June | 4:15 AM | 4:51 AM | 5:36 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:58 PM | 15h 30m |
| July | 4:30 AM | 5:05 AM | 5:49 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:53 PM | 15h 12m |
| August | 5:07 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:13 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 5:46 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:53 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:17 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:21 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:22 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:00 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:15 AM | 3:26 PM | 4:09 PM | 4:41 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 6:31 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:52 AM | 3:09 PM | 3:57 PM | 4:30 PM | 8h 53m |
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 Winter Harbor 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 2 (typical truly dark 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 | 4:28 AM – 5:08 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:25 AM – 3:55 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:31 AM – 3:01 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:48 PM – 2:18 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:33 PM – 1:03 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 | — | -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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.8 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 53% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (72%). 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 | 53 | 51 | 72 | 73 | 81 | 88 | 89 | 93 | 94 | 79 | 64 | 60 |
| Low °F | -19 | -19 | -13 | 15 | 29 | 38 | 49 | 47 | 36 | 24 | 6 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 5.4 | 4.7 | 4.7 |
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
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Little Deer Isle, 4.4 km (2.7 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Winter Harbor Light, closest first.
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LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Winter Harbor Light?
What time is golden hour at Winter Harbor Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Winter Harbor Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Winter Harbor Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Winter Harbor Light?
How far is Winter Harbor Light from Castine?
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.