Falmouth Inner Light is a lighthouse in Barnstable County, Massachusetts. It sits roughly 1.2 km (0.7 mi) SSE of Falmouth.
This is a list of all lighthouses in the U.S. state of Massachusetts as identified by the United States Coast Guard. Enumeration of the lighthouses in this state is complicated by the number of multiple tower stations and replacement of older towers, with the Brant Point Light station having had nine towers, two of which survive. At present there are forty-seven active towers, of which eleven are privately maintained; thirteen are standing but inactive, seven have been replaced with skeleton towers, thirteen have been destroyed or removed, and one tower has been moved to another state. The oldest station, Boston Light, established in 1716, was the first lighthouse built in the colonies, and the current tower at that station, built in 1783, is the oldest survivor in the state and the second oldest in the nation, and was the last lighthouse automated in the United States. The last...From the Wikipedia article “List of lighthouses in Massachusetts”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Falmouth Inner 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) | 6:47 AM | 90° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:09 AM | 57° ENE | 8:21 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 11m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:31 AM | 89° E | 6:42 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:06 AM | 121° ESE | 4:16 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 | 6:37 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:50 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 30m |
| February | 6:10 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:18 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 6:28 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:35 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:52 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 4:53 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 31m |
| June | 4:35 AM | 5:09 AM | 5:51 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:53 PM | 15h 10m |
| July | 4:49 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 54m |
| August | 5:22 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 5:56 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:00 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:22 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:27 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:31 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:02 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:13 AM | 3:43 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:54 PM | 9h 52m |
| December | 6:31 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:47 AM | 3:30 PM | 4:14 PM | 4:45 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 Falmouth Inner 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 | 4:11 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: 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 ≈ 20.02 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.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Falmouth Heights, 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 Falmouth Inner Light, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
State ParkScenic Viewpoint
National Wildlife Refuge
Beach
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Falmouth Inner Light?
What time is golden hour at Falmouth Inner Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Falmouth Inner Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Falmouth Inner Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Falmouth Inner Light?
How far is Falmouth Inner Light from Falmouth?
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.