Located in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Wing's Neck Light is a lighthouse. The nearest town is Pocasset, about 3.7 km (2.3 mi) away (Wing's Neck Light lies W of town). Its recorded tower height is about 10 m (33 ft). It dates from 1889. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Wing's Neck Light is a historic lighthouse in the Pocasset village of Bourne, Massachusetts. It is located on Wing's Neck Road at the end of Wing's Neck, a peninsula between Pocasset Harbor and the Hog Island Channel, which provides access to the Cape Cod Canal. The first lighthouse was built in the site in 1849; it was a stone keeper's house with a wood-frame tower above, and was destroyed by fire in 1878. The present lighthouse and keeper's house were built in 1889; it is the only extant wood-frame light and keeper's house connected by a covered way from that period. The lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.From the Wikipedia article “Wing's Neck Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Wing's Neck 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) | 5:09 AM | 57° ENE | 8:21 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 12m |
| 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 | 4:16 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 09m |
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 | 3:54 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 29m |
| February | 6:11 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:18 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:35 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:52 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 4:52 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 32m |
| June | 4:34 AM | 5:08 AM | 5:50 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:54 PM | 15h 11m |
| July | 4:49 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 55m |
| August | 5:22 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 5:56 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:22 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:27 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:31 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:03 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:14 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:54 PM | 9h 51m |
| December | 6:32 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:48 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:14 PM | 4:45 PM | 9h 10m |
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 Wing's Neck 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 | 4:12 AM – 5:12 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:14 AM – 4:14 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:22 AM – 3:22 AM | 3.0 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:31 PM – 2:51 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:21 PM – 1:31 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 9:31 PM – 11:31 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:29 PM – 9:29 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 ≈ 19.99 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
- 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 Monument Beach, 5.1 km (3.2 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Wing's Neck Light, closest first.
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LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Wing's Neck Light?
What time is golden hour at Wing's Neck Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Wing's Neck Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Wing's Neck Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Wing's Neck Light?
How far is Wing's Neck Light from Pocasset?
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.