Clay Island Light — a lighthouse in Wicomico County, Maryland — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 24 km (15 mi) W of Princess Anne. It dates from 1892.
The Clay Island Light was a historic lighthouse located on Clay Island at the mouth of the Nanticoke River on the Chesapeake Bay. Constructed in 1832, it continued to serve the area until 1892, when it was replaced by the Sharkfin Shoal Light. Two years later, the building collapsed, and nothing remains of it.From the Wikipedia article “Clay Island Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Clay Island 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 301° (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) | 7:08 AM | 90° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 59° ENE | 8:31 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 50m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 AM | 120° ESE | 4:48 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 30m |
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 | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 48m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:38 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:02 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 14m |
| June | 5:09 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 49m |
| July | 5:23 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 34m |
| August | 5:51 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 40m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:18 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:21 PM | 10h 07m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 31m |
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 Clay Island 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 23° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:01 AM – 5:21 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:19 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:14 AM – 4:44 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:14 AM – 4:04 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:26 PM – 3:36 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:19 PM – 2:19 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:38 PM – 12:18 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 10:13 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:55 PM – 8:15 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.27 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 51% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 72 | 74 | 78 | 88 | 92 | 99 | 103 | 101 | 97 | 95 | 78 | 74 |
| Low °F | 1 | 2 | 11 | 25 | 35 | 49 | 55 | 55 | 45 | 32 | 22 | 14 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 3.8 |
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 Sharkfin Shoal Light, 3.9 km (2.4 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Clay Island Light, closest first.
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National Wildlife RefugeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Clay Island Light?
What time is golden hour at Clay Island Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Clay Island Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Clay Island Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Clay Island Light?
How far is Clay Island Light from Princess Anne?
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.