Located in Wayne County, Michigan, Detroit River Light is a lighthouse. It sits roughly 11.2 km (7.0 mi) SSE of Gibraltar. Its recorded tower height is about 15 m (49 ft). It dates from 1885. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Detroit River Light, also known as Bar Point Shoal Light, was first established as a lightship in 1875. The current sparkplug lighthouse was built in 1885. It sits in Lake Erie, south of the mouth of the Detroit River, 1.75 nautical miles (3.24 km; 2.01 mi) from land and about 20 nautical miles (23 mi; 37 km) from the Ambassador Bridge in the Detroit River. It is about 0.4 nautical miles (0.74 km; 0.46 mi) from the border with Canada, and just under 24 nautical miles (44 km; 28 mi) from Put-in-Bay, Ohio. Its original 4th order Fresnel lens is on loan to the Michigan Maritime Museum.From the Wikipedia article “Detroit River Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Detroit River 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 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:37 AM | 90° E | 7:45 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:58 AM | 57° ENE | 9:12 PM | 303° WNW | 71° | 15h 14m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:21 AM | 89° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:58 AM | 122° ESE | 5:05 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 07m |
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 | 7:28 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:42 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:57 PM | 9h 28m |
| February | 7:01 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:34 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:22 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:07 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:24 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:41 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 34m |
| June | 5:23 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:28 PM | 9:11 PM | 9:45 PM | 15h 13m |
| July | 5:37 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:52 AM | 8:26 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:41 PM | 14h 57m |
| August | 6:11 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:05 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 6:45 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:50 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:12 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:17 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:23 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 50m |
| December | 7:23 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:39 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 08m |
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 Detroit River 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 | 5:13 AM – 6:03 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:05 AM – 5:05 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 1:14 AM – 4:14 AM | 3.0 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:23 PM – 3:43 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:13 PM – 2:23 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 10:22 PM – 12:22 AM | 2.0 | 18° | S → SW |
| September | 9:20 PM – 10:20 PM | 1.0 | 15° | 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 ≈ 20.32 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 September as the clearest month (about 49% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (79%). July 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 | 59 | 65 | 82 | 80 | 89 | 96 | 99 | 99 | 94 | 88 | 75 | 64 |
| Low °F | -18 | -19 | -12 | 5 | 24 | 37 | 42 | 46 | 36 | 25 | 8 | -5 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.0 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 2.2 |
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
- 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 Detroit River Light, closest first.
State Park
Lighthouse
National Wildlife Refuge
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Detroit River Light?
What time is golden hour at Detroit River Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Detroit River Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Detroit River Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Detroit River Light?
How far is Detroit River Light from Gibraltar?
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.