Located in Dukes County, Massachusetts, Cape Poge Light is a lighthouse. It is part of Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge. The nearest town is Edgartown, about 6.1 km (3.8 mi) away (Cape Poge Light lies ENE of town). Its recorded tower height is about 11 m (36 ft). It dates from 1801. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Cape Poge Light, sometimes called Cape Pogue Light, is at the northeast tip of Chappaquiddick Island that is part of Martha's Vineyard, off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. At least four towers have been built on Cape Poge, with many moves. In 1801 the first 35-foot (11 m) wooden Cape Poge Lighthouse was built for $2,000. During the War of 1812 the light was extinguished for a few months and its apparatus was hidden in the cellar of a Chappaquiddick house. This first lighthouse was moved in 1825 and again in 1838 due to an eroding bluff. In 1844 a new tower was built for $1,600 and in 1857 supplied with a fourth order Fresnel lens. However, in 1878 it was reported that the keeper's house would probably "fall into the sea within two years." A third lighthouse was therefore built in 1880.From the Wikipedia article “Cape Poge Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cape Poge 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) | 6:46 AM | 90° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:09 AM | 57° ENE | 8:20 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 10m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:30 AM | 89° E | 6:41 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:05 AM | 121° ESE | 4:16 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 11m |
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 | 6:36 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:49 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 31m |
| February | 6:10 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:17 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:44 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 6:27 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:34 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:40 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:51 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 4:52 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:26 PM | 14h 30m |
| June | 4:35 AM | 5:08 AM | 5:50 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:52 PM | 15h 09m |
| July | 4:49 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 53m |
| August | 5:22 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 51m |
| September | 5:55 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:21 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:30 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:01 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:12 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:53 PM | 9h 53m |
| December | 6:30 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:46 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:14 PM | 4:45 PM | 9h 12m |
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 Cape Poge 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:11 AM – 5:11 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:12 AM – 4:12 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:10 AM – 3:20 AM | 3.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:28 PM – 2:58 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:18 PM – 1:28 AM | 3.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:29 PM – 11:29 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:28 PM – 9:28 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:35 PM – 7:35 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: 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 ≈ 20.84 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.
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Launching or landing drones on National Wildlife Refuge lands generally requires a special use permit from the refuge manager, and wildlife disturbance rules apply everywhere.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Edgartown, 6.0 km (3.8 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Cape Poge Light, closest first.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Scenic Viewpoint
Lighthouse
State Park
Beach
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
National Wildlife RefugeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cape Poge Light?
What time is golden hour at Cape Poge Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cape Poge Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cape Poge Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cape Poge Light?
How far is Cape Poge Light from Edgartown?
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.