Bloody Point Bar Light is a lighthouse in Queen Anne's County, Maryland. The nearest town is Shady Side, about 10.5 km (6.5 mi) away (Bloody Point Bar Light lies E of town). Its recorded tower height is about 12 m (39 ft). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Bloody Point Bar Light is an early sparkplug lighthouse in the Chesapeake Bay near Kent Island, Maryland.From the Wikipedia article “Bloody Point Bar Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bloody Point Bar Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:41 AM | 59° ENE | 8:35 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 120° ESE | 4:48 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 27m |
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 | 6:54 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 45m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:02 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 17m |
| June | 5:09 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 52m |
| July | 5:22 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 38m |
| August | 5:52 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:42 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:22 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 28m |
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 Bloody Point Bar Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:13 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:22 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:18 AM – 4:48 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:19 AM – 3:59 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:31 PM – 3:41 AM | 5.2 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:24 PM – 2:14 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 12:11 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 10:06 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:58 PM – 8:18 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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 ≈ 20.07 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 January as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 71 | 70 | 76 | 89 | 92 | 96 | 101 | 100 | 94 | 93 | 75 | 72 |
| Low °F | 7 | 4 | 14 | 29 | 38 | 50 | 60 | 60 | 49 | 36 | 24 | 15 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.2 | 3.7 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Kent Point Marina, 1.6 km (1.0 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Bloody Point Bar Light, closest first.
Lighthouse
BeachBeachBeach
State ParkBeach
LighthouseBeach
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bloody Point Bar Light?
What time is golden hour at Bloody Point Bar Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bloody Point Bar Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bloody Point Bar Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bloody Point Bar Light?
How far is Bloody Point Bar Light from Shady Side?
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.