Located in Nantucket County, Massachusetts, Great Point Light is a lighthouse. It sits roughly 12.6 km (7.8 mi) NNE of Nantucket. Its recorded tower height is about 21 m (69 ft). It dates from 1769. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Great Point Light, officially Nantucket Light, is a lighthouse located on the northernmost point of Nantucket Island. First built in 1784, the original wooden tower was destroyed by fire in 1816. The following year a stone tower was erected which stood until toppled in a storm in March 1984. Rebuilt again in 1986, the stone tower was built to replicate the old one, and still remains in operation today. Modern additions include solar panels to recharge the light's batteries, and a sheet pile foundation and 5-foot (1.5 m) thick concrete mat to help withstand erosion. The lighthouse sits on a thin spit of beach where the currents of the Atlantic Ocean and Nantucket Sound meet. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 as Nantucket Light and removed after the destruction of the listed structure in 1986.From the Wikipedia article “Great Point Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Great Point 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 | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:08 AM | 57° ENE | 8:18 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 10m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:28 AM | 89° E | 6:39 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:04 AM | 121° ESE | 4:14 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 | 6:34 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:47 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 31m |
| February | 6:08 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:15 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:43 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:33 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:38 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:49 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 4:51 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:24 PM | 14h 30m |
| June | 4:33 AM | 5:07 AM | 5:49 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:50 PM | 15h 09m |
| July | 4:47 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 53m |
| August | 5:20 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 51m |
| September | 5:54 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:58 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:19 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:25 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:23 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:29 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:00 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:11 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:52 PM | 9h 53m |
| December | 6:29 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:44 AM | 3:28 PM | 4:12 PM | 4:44 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 Great Point 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 3 (rural sky), 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 | 4:09 AM – 5:09 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:10 AM – 4:10 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:08 AM – 3:18 AM | 3.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:26 PM – 2:56 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:16 PM – 1:26 AM | 3.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:27 PM – 11:27 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:26 PM – 9:26 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:33 PM – 7:33 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.3 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
- 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.
- Many lighthouses are on private or Coast Guard property — check public access and opening hours.
- Moonrise or the Milky Way over the tower makes a classic night composition; plan with the azimuth tables.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Great Point, 408 m away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Great Point Light, closest first.
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LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Great Point Light?
What time is golden hour at Great Point Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Great Point Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Great Point Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Great Point Light?
How far is Great Point Light from Nantucket?
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.