Located in Saint Mary's County, Maryland, Point No Point Light is a lighthouse. It sits roughly 21 km (13 mi) SE of Lexington Park. Its recorded tower height is about 12 m (39 ft). It dates from 1905. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Point No Point Light, located in the Chesapeake Bay off the eponymous point several miles north of the mouth of the Potomac River, was constructed as part of a program to add lighted navigational aids in a thirty-mile stretch of the bay between Cove and Smith Points.From the Wikipedia article “Point No Point Light (Maryland)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Point No Point 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 241° (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 | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:43 AM | 59° ENE | 8:32 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 49m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 120° ESE | 4:49 PM | 241° WSW | 28° | 9h 31m |
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 | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 48m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:03 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 14m |
| June | 5:11 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 48m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 34m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 39m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:48 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:23 PM | 10h 07m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 32m |
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 Point No Point 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:02 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:20 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:15 AM – 4:45 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:15 AM – 4:05 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:27 PM – 3:37 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:20 PM – 2:20 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:39 PM – 12:19 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 10:14 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:56 PM – 8:16 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.2 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 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
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Cornfield Harbor, Md., 9.8 km (6.1 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Point No Point Light, closest first.
Beach
State Park
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseBeach
Lighthouse
LighthouseCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Pax River Paradise Grove Campgrounds22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Pax River Hog Point Campgrounds22 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Point No Point Light?
What time is golden hour at Point No Point Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Point No Point Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Point No Point Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Point No Point Light?
How far is Point No Point Light from Lexington Park?
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.