Located in Huron County, Michigan, Port Austin Light is a lighthouse. The nearest town is Bad Axe, about 31 km (19 mi) away (Port Austin Light lies N of town). Its recorded tower height is about 18 m (59 ft). It dates from 1878. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Port Austin Lighthouse (or Port Austin Reef Light) is a lighthouse off the shore of Lake Huron, about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) north of Port Austin, Huron County Michigan sitting on a rocky reef (shoal), which is just north of the tip of the Thumb and a real hazard to navigation.From the Wikipedia article “Port Austin Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Port Austin Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:36 AM | 90° E | 7:44 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:50 AM | 56° NE | 9:19 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 30m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:20 AM | 89° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:05 AM | 123° ESE | 4:57 PM | 238° WSW | 22° | 8h 52m |
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 | 7:32 AM | 8:04 AM | 8:50 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:52 PM | 9h 15m |
| February | 7:03 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:13 AM | 5:21 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:31 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 7:16 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:23 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:07 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:19 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:33 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:25 PM | 14h 45m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:33 AM | 8:33 PM | 9:17 PM | 9:54 PM | 15h 28m |
| July | 5:28 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:46 AM | 8:31 PM | 9:14 PM | 9:49 PM | 15h 10m |
| August | 6:05 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 02m |
| September | 6:43 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:50 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:13 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:18 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:26 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:57 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 39m |
| December | 7:28 AM | 8:01 AM | 8:48 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:28 PM | 8h 54m |
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 Port Austin Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark 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 | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:25 AM – 6:05 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:21 AM – 5:01 AM | 1.7 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:26 AM – 3:56 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:42 PM – 3:22 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:28 PM – 1:58 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:30 PM – 12:00 AM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:23 PM – 9:53 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.82 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 72% average cloud cover) and April 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 | 48 | 45 | 52 | 56 | 67 | 73 | 80 | 80 | 75 | 72 | 59 | 55 |
| Low °F | 4 | -5 | 1 | 19 | 32 | 39 | 53 | 57 | 47 | 37 | 20 | 11 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 2.4 | 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
- 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.
- 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 Port Austin Light, closest first.
Rock Formation
Sand Dunes
State ParkSand DunesSand Dunes
LighthouseSand DunesSand DunesFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Port Austin Light?
What time is golden hour at Port Austin Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Port Austin Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Port Austin Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Port Austin Light?
How far is Port Austin Light from Bad Axe?
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.