Located in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Bishop and Clerks Light is a lighthouse. The nearest town is West Yarmouth, about 8.5 km (5.3 mi) away (Bishop and Clerks Light lies S of town). Its recorded tower height is about 9 m (30 ft). It dates from 1858.
Bishop and Clerks Light is a lighthouse located in open water on Bishop and Clerks Rocks, about two nautical miles south of Point Gammon in Hyannis, Massachusetts, United States. The light was established in a granite tower in 1858. It was automated in 1923, deactivated five years later and demolished in 1952. It was replaced with a white 30-foot pyramidal day beacon. The day beacon was replaced with a round, orange and white 30-foot tower placed on top of the original Bishop & Clerk's granite base in 1998.From the Wikipedia article “Bishop and Clerks Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bishop and Clerks Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:45 AM | 90° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:08 AM | 57° ENE | 8:19 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 11m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:29 AM | 89° E | 6:40 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:05 AM | 121° ESE | 4:15 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 10m |
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 | 6:35 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:49 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 30m |
| February | 6:09 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:16 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:43 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:33 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:39 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:50 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 4:51 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 31m |
| June | 4:33 AM | 5:07 AM | 5:49 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:52 PM | 15h 10m |
| July | 4:48 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 54m |
| August | 5:21 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 5:54 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:59 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:20 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:29 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:01 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:12 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:52 PM | 9h 52m |
| December | 6:30 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:46 AM | 3:28 PM | 4:13 PM | 4:44 PM | 9h 11m |
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 Bishop and Clerks Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:10 AM – 5:10 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:11 AM – 4:11 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:09 AM – 3:19 AM | 3.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:27 PM – 2:57 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:17 PM – 1:27 AM | 3.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:28 PM – 11:28 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:27 PM – 9:27 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:34 PM – 7:34 PM | 0.0 | 10° | 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: 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 ≈ 20.37 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 (69%). August 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 | 56 | 54 | 62 | 72 | 76 | 87 | 89 | 86 | 81 | 76 | 67 | 63 |
| Low °F | 2 | 1 | 13 | 29 | 39 | 49 | 58 | 60 | 51 | 38 | 22 | 12 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.4 |
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.
- 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 Hyannis Port, 7.6 km (4.7 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Bishop and Clerks Light, closest first.
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Lighthouse
Beach
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Lake
Lighthouse
National Wildlife Refuge
State Park
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bishop and Clerks Light?
What time is golden hour at Bishop and Clerks Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bishop and Clerks Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bishop and Clerks Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bishop and Clerks Light?
How far is Bishop and Clerks Light from West Yarmouth?
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.