Located in Essex County, Massachusetts, Ipswich Range Lights is a lighthouse. It sits roughly 6.1 km (3.8 mi) NNE of Essex. It dates from 1838.
The Ipswich Range Lights are a pair of range lights on Crane Beach in Ipswich, Massachusetts. They have a long and varied history. They were first built as two brick towers, 542 feet (165 m) apart on a more or less east–west line in 1838. The movement of the sands led to shifting of the towers and by 1881 the rear tower, Ipswich Rear Range Light, was badly cracked. It was replaced by a cast-iron tower, while by 1867 the front light, Ipswich Front Range Light, had been replaced by a movable wood structure that could be shifted as the channel shifted. The front light was discontinued in 1932 and the rear light was replaced in 1938 with a skeleton tower. It, or its replacement, is still in service today. The 1881 cast-iron rear tower was loaded on a barge and shipped to Edgartown, Massachusetts, where it replaced the Edgartown Harbor Light that had been destroyed in the Hurricane of 1938.From the Wikipedia article “Ipswich Range Lights”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ipswich Range Lights the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) 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) | 6:47 AM | 90° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:06 AM | 56° ENE | 8:25 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 19m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:31 AM | 89° E | 6:42 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:11 AM | 122° ESE | 4:13 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 02m |
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 | 3:51 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 23m |
| February | 6:12 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:44 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:18 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:33 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:40 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:54 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 4:49 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 37m |
| June | 4:30 AM | 5:05 AM | 5:48 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:59 PM | 15h 18m |
| July | 4:45 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:54 PM | 15h 01m |
| August | 5:20 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 56m |
| September | 5:55 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:01 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:23 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:28 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:31 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:05 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:18 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:52 PM | 9h 46m |
| December | 6:35 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:53 AM | 3:25 PM | 4:11 PM | 4:43 PM | 9h 04m |
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 Ipswich Range Lights, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:24 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:27 AM – 4:17 AM | 1.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:28 AM – 3:18 AM | 2.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:40 PM – 2:40 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:29 PM – 1:19 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:35 PM – 11:25 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:31 PM – 9:21 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: 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 ≈ 19.74 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Plum Island Sound (south end), 3.3 km (2.1 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Ipswich Range Lights, closest first.
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Ghost Town
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ipswich Range Lights?
What time is golden hour at Ipswich Range Lights?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ipswich Range Lights?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ipswich Range Lights?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ipswich Range Lights?
How far is Ipswich Range Lights from Essex?
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.