Located in Keweenaw County, Michigan, Mendota Light is a lighthouse. The nearest town is Laurium, about 39 km (24 mi) away (Mendota Light lies ENE of town). Its recorded tower height is about 11 m (36 ft). It dates from 1869. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Mendota Light, also known as the Bete Grise light, was built on the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan to facilitate travel between Lake Superior and Lac La Belle (an artificial canal having been made to connect the two).From the Wikipedia article “Mendota (Bete Grise) Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mendota 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) | 7:56 AM | 89° E | 8:05 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:56 AM | 53° NE | 9:53 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:39 AM | 89° E | 7:52 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:37 AM | 125° SE | 5:04 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 27m |
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 | 4:39 PM | 5:29 PM | 6:03 PM | 8h 53m |
| February | 7:27 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:42 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:47 PM | 10h 18m |
| March | 7:35 AM | 8:06 AM | 8:46 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:28 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:32 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:13 PM | 13h 37m |
| May | 5:40 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:01 AM | 8:37 PM | 9:22 PM | 9:58 PM | 15h 06m |
| June | 5:15 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:43 AM | 9:03 PM | 9:51 PM | 10:31 PM | 15h 56m |
| July | 5:33 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:58 AM | 8:59 PM | 9:46 PM | 10:24 PM | 15h 35m |
| August | 6:15 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:06 PM | 9:39 PM | 14h 17m |
| September | 6:59 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:10 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:37 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:40 AM | 8:11 AM | 8:53 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:37 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 7:24 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:44 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:51 PM | 9h 21m |
| December | 7:58 AM | 8:33 AM | 9:26 AM | 4:10 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:38 PM | 8h 29m |
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 Mendota Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.0 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 | 4:14 AM – 5:04 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:23 AM – 3:53 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:50 AM – 2:50 AM | 2.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 12:24 AM – 1:44 AM | 1.3 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 11:08 PM – 11:48 PM | 0.7 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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
- 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 Mendota Light, closest first.
Lighthouse
Sand Dunes
LakeSand Dunes
Waterfall
LakeWaterfallSand DunesWaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mendota Light?
What time is golden hour at Mendota Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mendota Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mendota Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mendota Light?
How far is Mendota 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.