Ile Aux Galets — a lighthouse in Emmet County, Michigan — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Harbor Springs, about 31 km (19 mi) away (Ile Aux Galets lies NNW of town). Its recorded tower height is about 18 m (59 ft). It dates from 1888. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Ile Aux Galets Light, also known as Skillagalee Island Light, is located on Ile Aux Galets (more commonly known as Skillagalee Island), a gravelly, low-lying island in northeast Lake Michigan, between Beaver Island and the mainland, approximately 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Cross Village in Emmet County, Michigan. Along with nearby Grays Reef, Waugoshance, and White Shoal Lights, it warns shipping away from the reefs and shoals of Waugoshance Point, which pose an imminent hazard to navigation. United States Lighthouse Board records initially used both names when referring to the lighthouse, but by 1889 Skillagalee started to be used exclusively. Around 1910, Ile Aux Galets started to be used again, and it is listed by that name on modern light lists published by the United States Coast Guard.From the Wikipedia article “Ile Aux Galets Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ile Aux Galets the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:45 AM | 90° E | 7:53 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:52 AM | 54° NE | 9:34 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 43m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:28 AM | 89° E | 7:40 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:19 AM | 124° SE | 5:00 PM | 236° WSW | 21° | 8h 41m |
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 | 7:45 AM | 8:18 AM | 9:06 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:56 PM | 9h 05m |
| February | 7:13 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:26 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:38 PM | 10h 24m |
| March | 7:25 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:34 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:16 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:25 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 31m |
| May | 5:36 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:54 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:40 PM | 14h 55m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:47 PM | 9:33 PM | 10:11 PM | 15h 41m |
| July | 5:30 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:51 AM | 8:43 PM | 9:28 PM | 10:05 PM | 15h 22m |
| August | 6:09 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:23 PM | 14h 09m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:59 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:24 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:28 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:38 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:27 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 7:09 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:26 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 30m |
| December | 7:41 AM | 8:15 AM | 9:05 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:32 PM | 8h 42m |
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 Ile Aux Galets, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:46 AM – 6:06 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:47 AM – 4:57 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:48 AM – 3:48 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:13 AM – 3:03 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:54 PM – 1:54 AM | 2.0 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:48 PM – 11:48 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:36 PM – 9:46 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.92 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 61% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (81%). 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 | 43 | 41 | 55 | 60 | 67 | 73 | 78 | 78 | 75 | 73 | 60 | 55 |
| Low °F | 1 | -10 | -3 | 15 | 31 | 37 | 49 | 54 | 44 | 35 | 18 | 11 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 2.8 | 2.5 |
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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Ile Aux Galets, closest first.
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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.