Butler Flats Light is a lighthouse in Bristol County, Massachusetts. It sits roughly 3.8 km (2.4 mi) ESE of Bliss Corner. It dates from 1898. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Butler Flats Light is a sparkplug lighthouse located in the outer harbor of New Bedford, Massachusetts, at the mouth of the Acushnet River. Built in 1898 by the United States Lighthouse Board, it is the only known caisson lighthouse designed by a marine architect. The light was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Butler Flats Light Station on June 15, 1987. Automated in 1978, it is now operated by the city as a private aid to navigation.From the Wikipedia article “Butler Flats Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Butler Flats 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) | 6:48 AM | 90° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:10 AM | 57° ENE | 8:22 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:32 AM | 89° E | 6:43 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:08 AM | 121° ESE | 4:17 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 09m |
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 | 6:38 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:52 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 30m |
| February | 6:12 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:18 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:36 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:42 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:53 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 4:53 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 31m |
| June | 4:36 AM | 5:10 AM | 5:52 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:54 PM | 15h 10m |
| July | 4:50 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 54m |
| August | 5:23 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 5:57 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:01 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:23 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:32 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:03 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:15 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:25 PM | 4:55 PM | 9h 52m |
| December | 6:33 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:49 AM | 3:30 PM | 4:15 PM | 4:46 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 Butler Flats 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 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | 4:13 AM – 5:13 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:14 AM – 4:14 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:12 AM – 3:22 AM | 3.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:30 PM – 3:00 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:20 PM – 1:30 AM | 3.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:31 PM – 11:31 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:37 PM – 7:37 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.65 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
- 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 Clarks Point, 1.3 km (0.8 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Butler Flats Light, closest first.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
State Park
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Butler Flats Light?
What time is golden hour at Butler Flats Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Butler Flats Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Butler Flats Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Butler Flats Light?
How far is Butler Flats Light from Bliss Corner?
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.