Located in Essex County, Massachusetts, Egg Rock Light is a lighthouse. It sits roughly 1.9 km (1.2 mi) ENE of Nahant. It dates from 1856.
Egg Rock Light was first established in 1856 after a schooner went down with the loss of five lives. The original structure was a lantern on top of a stone dwelling built from granite cut on the island. After the wreck of the schooner Shark the characteristic was changed to fixed red because the captain of the Shark was said to have confused it with Long Island Head Light in Boston Harbor. Following a fire in 1897 it was rebuilt with a square tower attached to the house. The light was operated at reduced intensity during World War I because of concerns over German submarines. It was automated in 1919 when a gas beacon replaced the oil light. The structure was sold for $160 with a clause requiring the purchaser to remove it from the island. While moving the house down to the water, a cable snapped and the house slid into the water. The tower was destroyed in 1927. The island is now...From the Wikipedia article “Egg Rock Light (Massachusetts)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Egg Rock Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:48 AM | 90° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:07 AM | 57° ENE | 8:25 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 18m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:32 AM | 89° E | 6:43 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:10 AM | 122° ESE | 4:14 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 04m |
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 | 6:40 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:55 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 25m |
| February | 6:12 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:18 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:34 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:54 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 4:51 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 36m |
| June | 4:32 AM | 5:07 AM | 5:49 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:58 PM | 15h 16m |
| July | 4:47 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 59m |
| August | 5:21 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 5:56 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:01 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:24 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:31 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:05 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:17 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:23 PM | 4:53 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 6:35 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:52 AM | 3:27 PM | 4:12 PM | 4:44 PM | 9h 05m |
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 Egg Rock Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:25 AM – 5:15 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:17 AM – 4:17 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:28 AM – 3:18 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:39 PM – 2:49 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:28 PM – 1:28 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:35 PM – 11:25 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:32 PM – 9:22 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 18.39 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 48% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 58 | 56 | 67 | 76 | 79 | 84 | 88 | 89 | 86 | 77 | 67 | 62 |
| Low °F | -1 | -1 | 8 | 27 | 37 | 46 | 55 | 56 | 49 | 36 | 18 | 9 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 5.0 |
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.
- 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 Lynn, Lynn Harbor, 4.6 km (2.9 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Egg Rock Light, closest first.
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LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Egg Rock Light?
What time is golden hour at Egg Rock Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Egg Rock Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Egg Rock Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Egg Rock Light?
How far is Egg Rock Light from Nahant?
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.