Nauset Light is a lighthouse in Barnstable County, Massachusetts. It lies in or next to Cape Cod National Seashore, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 2.7 km (1.7 mi) ESE of North Eastham. Its recorded tower height is about 15 m (49 ft). It dates from 1877. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Nauset Light, officially Nauset Beach Light, is a restored lighthouse on the Cape Cod National Seashore near Eastham, Massachusetts, erected in 1923 using the 1877 tower that was moved here from the Chatham Light. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The tower is a cast-iron plate shell lined with brick and stands 48 feet (15 m) high. The adjacent oil house (where fuel was stored in the early days) is made of brick and has also been restored. Fully automated, the beacon is a private aid to navigation. Tours of the tower and oil house are available in summer from the Nauset Light Preservation Society which operates, maintains and interprets the site. The tower is located adjacent to Nauset Light Beach.From the Wikipedia article “Nauset Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Nauset 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 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) | 5:06 AM | 57° ENE | 8:19 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 14m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:28 AM | 89° E | 6:39 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:05 AM | 122° ESE | 4:13 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 08m |
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 | 6:35 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:49 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 28m |
| February | 6:08 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:16 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:14 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:31 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:38 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:50 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 4:49 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 33m |
| June | 4:31 AM | 5:05 AM | 5:47 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:52 PM | 15h 12m |
| July | 4:45 AM | 5:18 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 56m |
| August | 5:19 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 53m |
| September | 5:53 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:19 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:22 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:28 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:00 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:12 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:50 PM | 9h 50m |
| December | 6:30 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:46 AM | 3:26 PM | 4:10 PM | 4:42 PM | 9h 09m |
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 Nauset Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 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 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 | 4:09 AM – 5:09 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:11 AM – 4:11 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:19 AM – 3:19 AM | 3.0 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:28 PM – 2:48 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:18 PM – 1:28 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 9:28 PM – 11:28 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:26 PM – 9:26 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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 ≈ 20.38 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 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
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Wellfleet, 10.4 km (6.4 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Nauset Light, closest first.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Beach
Rock Formation
BeachBeachBeachBeachBeachCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Le Count Beach House7.2 km (4.5 mi) · reservable
- Sunrise House7.5 km (4.7 mi) · reservable
- Ocean View House7.6 km (4.7 mi) · reservable
- Bay View House14.5 km (9.0 mi) · reservable
- Highland Beach Suites, Unit 323 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Nauset Light?
What time is golden hour at Nauset Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Nauset Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Nauset Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Nauset Light?
How far is Nauset Light from North Eastham?
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.