Monomoy Point Light — a lighthouse in Barnstable County, Massachusetts — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge. The nearest town is West Chatham, about 13.6 km (8.5 mi) away (Monomoy Point Light lies S of town). Its recorded tower height is about 14 m (46 ft). It dates from 1823. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Monomoy Point Light is a historic light in Chatham, Massachusetts. The station was established in 1823. The first light was a wood tower and brick lantern room on top of the keeper's house. The current tower, one of the first made of cast iron, was built in 1849. After the opening of the Cape Cod Canal in 1914, most vessels bound from south of the Cape to the Boston area took the shorter and safer route through the canal, so there was much less traffic past the light and the light was deactivated in 1923. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Monomoy Point Lighthouse on November 1, 1979, reference number 79000324. The keeper's house is preserved and serves today as a base for wildlife management efforts. The Lighthouse Preservation Society, the Massachusetts Audubon Society, and The Friends of Monomoy have supported the past efforts in preservation of the...From the Wikipedia article “Monomoy Point Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Monomoy 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) | 6:44 AM | 90° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:07 AM | 57° ENE | 8:18 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 11m |
| 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 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 | 6:34 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:48 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 30m |
| February | 6:08 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:15 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:14 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:32 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:38 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:49 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 4:50 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:24 PM | 14h 31m |
| June | 4:32 AM | 5:06 AM | 5:48 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:50 PM | 15h 10m |
| July | 4:47 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 54m |
| August | 5:20 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 5:53 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:58 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:19 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:24 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:23 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:28 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:00 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:11 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:51 PM | 9h 52m |
| December | 6:29 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:45 AM | 3:27 PM | 4:12 PM | 4:43 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 Monomoy 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 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 | 4:09 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: 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 ≈ 21.1 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 56% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (76%). August is the warmest month and February 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 | 55 | 55 | 52 | 56 | 61 | 69 | 73 | 74 | 73 | 68 | 66 | 61 |
| Low °F | 8 | 11 | 17 | 33 | 40 | 48 | 56 | 60 | 55 | 43 | 27 | 20 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 5.5 |
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.
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 Chatham, Stage Harbor, 12.1 km (7.5 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Monomoy Point Light, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
Wilderness Area
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
State Park
LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Monomoy Point Light?
What time is golden hour at Monomoy Point Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Monomoy Point Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Monomoy Point Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Monomoy Point Light?
How far is Monomoy Point Light from West Chatham?
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.