Located in Essex County, Massachusetts, Ten Pound Island Light is a lighthouse. The nearest town is Gloucester, about 1.4 km (0.9 mi) away (Ten Pound Island Light lies S of town). Its recorded tower height is about 9 m (30 ft). It dates from 1821. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Ten Pound Island Light is a historic lighthouse in Gloucester Harbor in Gloucester, Massachusetts. It is located on Ten Pound Island, near the eastern end of the harbor. The tower, built in 1881, is a conical cast iron structure 30 feet (9.1 m) tall, replacing a stone tower first built on the site in 1821. The main body is painted white, and the top is painted black. The tower is the only surviving part of a more extensive light station, which included a keeper's house and an oil house. The island additionally hosted a federal fish hatchery and a Coast Guard air (seaplane) station; only ruins survive. The lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. Both Winslow Homer and Fitz Henry Lane painted the first tower.From the Wikipedia article “Ten Pound Island Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ten Pound Island 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 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 | 57° 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) | 7:10 AM | 122° ESE | 4:13 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 03m |
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 | 6:39 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:55 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 24m |
| February | 6:12 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:20 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:44 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:33 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:40 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:54 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 4:49 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 37m |
| June | 4:30 AM | 5:05 AM | 5:48 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:58 PM | 15h 18m |
| July | 4:45 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:53 PM | 15h 01m |
| August | 5:20 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 56m |
| September | 5:55 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:00 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:23 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:30 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:04 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:17 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:52 PM | 9h 47m |
| December | 6:34 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:52 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 Ten Pound Island Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 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 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:24 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:16 AM – 4:16 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:27 AM – 3:17 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:38 PM – 2:48 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:27 PM – 1:27 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:34 PM – 11:24 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.88 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Gloucester Harbor, 1.0 km (0.6 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Ten Pound Island Light, closest first.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Ghost Town
Beach
LighthouseLighthouse
Lighthouse
National Wildlife Refuge
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ten Pound Island Light?
What time is golden hour at Ten Pound Island Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ten Pound Island Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ten Pound Island Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ten Pound Island Light?
How far is Ten Pound Island Light from Gloucester?
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.