Ontonagon Light is a lighthouse in Ontonagon County, Michigan. Its recorded tower height is about 10 m (33 ft). It dates from 1853. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Ontonagon Light is a lighthouse located off M-64 near Ontonagon, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1973.From the Wikipedia article “Ontonagon Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ontonagon Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:01 AM | 90° E | 8:10 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:04 AM | 54° NE | 9:56 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:45 AM | 89° E | 7:57 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:40 AM | 125° SE | 5:12 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 31m |
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 | 8:05 AM | 8:39 AM | 9:28 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:10 PM | 8h 57m |
| February | 7:31 AM | 8:03 AM | 8:46 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:53 PM | 10h 19m |
| March | 7:41 AM | 8:11 AM | 8:51 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:33 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:38 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:17 PM | 13h 35m |
| May | 5:47 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:08 AM | 8:42 PM | 9:26 PM | 10:02 PM | 15h 03m |
| June | 5:23 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:50 AM | 9:07 PM | 9:54 PM | 10:34 PM | 15h 51m |
| July | 5:41 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:04 AM | 9:03 PM | 9:49 PM | 10:27 PM | 15h 31m |
| August | 6:22 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:28 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:43 PM | 14h 14m |
| September | 7:05 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:16 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:42 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:45 AM | 8:16 AM | 8:57 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:42 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 7:28 AM | 8:01 AM | 8:48 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:58 PM | 9h 24m |
| December | 8:01 AM | 8:37 AM | 9:28 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:45 PM | 8h 33m |
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 Ontonagon Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.3 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 6:14 AM – 6:24 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 4:17 AM – 5:07 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:23 AM – 4:03 AM | 1.7 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:45 AM – 3:05 AM | 2.3 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:22 AM – 2:02 AM | 1.7 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 11:10 PM – 12:00 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:55 PM – 9:55 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| 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 3.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 54% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 40 | 49 | 73 | 76 | 87 | 88 | 96 | 93 | 89 | 79 | 67 | 54 |
| Low °F | -21 | -26 | -19 | 6 | 23 | 34 | 40 | 42 | 31 | 13 | -1 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 2.3 | 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
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Ontonagon Light, closest first.
Sand Dunes
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When is the best time to photograph Ontonagon Light?
What time is golden hour at Ontonagon Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ontonagon Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ontonagon Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ontonagon Light?
How far is Ontonagon Light from Ontonagon?
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.