Located in Alpena County, Michigan, Alpena Light is a lighthouse at about 177 m (581 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Alpena, about 800 m away (Alpena Light lies ESE of town). Its recorded tower height is about 10 m (33 ft). It dates from 1875. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Alpena Light, also known as the Thunder Bay River Lighthouse or Alpena Breakwater Light, is a lighthouse on Lake Huron near Alpena, Michigan. Standing on the north breakwater of Alpena Harbor, the light marks the entrance to the Thunder Bay River from Thunder Bay. The current lighthouse, built in 1914, replaced earlier wooden structures which had been in use since 1877 and 1888. The current light is a weather-protected structure on a steel frame. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006, and the state inventory list the same year.From the Wikipedia article “Alpena Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Alpena Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:38 AM | 90° E | 7:46 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:47 AM | 55° NE | 9:25 PM | 305° NW | 68° | 15h 37m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:21 AM | 89° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:10 AM | 123° ESE | 4:55 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 45m |
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 | 7:36 AM | 8:09 AM | 8:56 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:51 PM | 9h 09m |
| February | 7:06 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:17 AM | 5:20 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:32 PM | 10h 26m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:26 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:09 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:19 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:29 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:50 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 5:31 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:31 PM | 14h 51m |
| June | 5:10 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:32 AM | 8:38 PM | 9:23 PM | 10:00 PM | 15h 36m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:46 AM | 8:35 PM | 9:19 PM | 9:55 PM | 15h 17m |
| August | 6:04 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 06m |
| September | 6:44 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:52 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:16 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:20 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:30 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 7:00 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 34m |
| December | 7:32 AM | 8:06 AM | 8:55 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:27 PM | 8h 47m |
Local time (America/Detroit), 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 Alpena Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:38 AM – 5:58 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:37 AM – 4:57 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:35 AM – 3:45 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:56 PM – 3:06 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:40 PM – 1:50 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:37 PM – 11:47 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:28 PM – 9:48 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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 ≈ 19.9 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ 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 66% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (82%). 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 | 44 | 53 | 68 | 67 | 76 | 80 | 87 | 85 | 83 | 76 | 64 | 57 |
| Low °F | -8 | -16 | -7 | 12 | 29 | 36 | 45 | 51 | 40 | 31 | 15 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 2.5 | 2.3 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Alpena Light, closest first.
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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.