Tarpaulin Cove Light — a lighthouse in Dukes County, Massachusetts — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 12.0 km (7.5 mi) NW of West Tisbury. Its recorded tower height is about 8 m (28 ft). It dates from 1818. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Tarpaulin Cove Light is a historic lighthouse on Naushon Island, one of the Elizabeth Islands of southern Massachusetts. It is located in the town of Gosnold, Massachusetts. Built on the site of a light station first established privately in the 18th century, the current tower dates from 1891. A keeper's house built at the same time has not survived. The light is 78 feet (24 m) above Mean High Water, and its white light is visible for 9 nautical miles (17 km; 10 mi).From the Wikipedia article “Tarpaulin Cove Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Tarpaulin Cove 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) | 5:10 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) | 7:07 AM | 121° ESE | 4:17 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 | 7:08 AM | 7:51 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 30m |
| February | 6:11 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:18 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:35 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:52 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 4:53 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 31m |
| June | 4:36 AM | 5:10 AM | 5:51 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:53 PM | 15h 10m |
| July | 4:50 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 53m |
| August | 5:23 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 5:56 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:01 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:22 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:28 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:31 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:03 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:14 AM | 3:43 PM | 4:25 PM | 4:54 PM | 9h 52m |
| December | 6:32 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:48 AM | 3:30 PM | 4:15 PM | 4:46 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 Tarpaulin Cove 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 | 4:12 AM – 5:12 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:13 AM – 4:13 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:11 AM – 3:21 AM | 3.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:29 PM – 2:59 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:19 PM – 1:29 AM | 3.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:30 PM – 11:30 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:29 PM – 9:29 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:36 PM – 7:36 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 ≈ 20.69 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.
- 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 Cedar Tree Neck, 6.3 km (3.9 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Tarpaulin Cove Light, closest first.
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LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Tarpaulin Cove Light?
What time is golden hour at Tarpaulin Cove Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Tarpaulin Cove Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Tarpaulin Cove Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Tarpaulin Cove Light?
How far is Tarpaulin Cove Light from West Tisbury?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.