Copper Harbor Front Range Light is a lighthouse in Keweenaw County, Michigan. The nearest town is Laurium, about 51 km (32 mi) away (Copper Harbor Front Range Light lies ENE of town).
The Copper Harbor Front Range Light is in Copper Harbor, Michigan. While the Copper Harbor Light effectively illuminated the area of the harbor, it failed to guide mariners through the narrow opening of rocks at its entrance. Construction on the range lights were completed in 1869. According to US Government publication, "The American Practical Navigator", Chapter 5: "Range lights are light pairs that indicate a specific line of position when they are in line. The higher rear light is placed behind the front light. When the mariner sees the lights vertically in line, he is on the range line. If the front light appears left of the rear light, the observer is to the right of the range line; if the front appears to the right of the rear, the observer is left of the range line."[1] It is considered to be iconic, and has been the subject of memorabilia.From the Wikipedia article “Copper Harbor Front Range Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Copper Harbor Front Range Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:55 AM | 89° E | 8:04 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:55 AM | 53° NE | 9:53 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:39 AM | 89° E | 7:51 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:37 AM | 125° SE | 5:04 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 26m |
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 | 8:01 AM | 8:35 AM | 9:25 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:28 PM | 6:02 PM | 8h 52m |
| February | 7:26 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:42 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:47 PM | 10h 17m |
| March | 7:35 AM | 8:06 AM | 8:46 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:28 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:31 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:45 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:13 PM | 13h 37m |
| May | 5:39 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:37 PM | 9:22 PM | 9:59 PM | 15h 07m |
| June | 5:14 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:43 AM | 9:03 PM | 9:51 PM | 10:31 PM | 15h 56m |
| July | 5:32 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:57 AM | 8:59 PM | 9:46 PM | 10:24 PM | 15h 35m |
| August | 6:15 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:39 PM | 14h 17m |
| September | 6:59 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:10 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:37 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:40 AM | 8:11 AM | 8:53 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:36 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 7:24 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:44 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 20m |
| December | 7:57 AM | 8:33 AM | 9:26 AM | 4:09 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:38 PM | 8h 28m |
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 Copper Harbor Front Range Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | 6:20 AM – 6:20 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 4:25 AM – 5:05 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:24 AM – 3:44 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:55 AM – 2:45 AM | 1.8 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 12:26 AM – 1:46 AM | 1.3 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 11:09 PM – 11:39 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.94 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 3.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show March as the clearest month (about 77% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (87%). 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 | 40 | 41 | 53 | 52 | 58 | 64 | 80 | 73 | 73 | 65 | 55 | 49 |
| Low °F | -2 | -8 | -2 | 15 | 27 | 35 | 39 | 47 | 41 | 31 | 13 | 8 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 2.5 | 2.8 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Copper Harbor Front Range Light, closest first.
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Waterfall
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LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Copper Harbor Front Range Light?
What time is golden hour at Copper Harbor Front Range Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Copper Harbor Front Range Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Copper Harbor Front Range Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Copper Harbor Front Range Light?
How far is Copper Harbor Front Range Light from Laurium?
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.