Stannard Rock Light — a lighthouse in Marquette County, Michigan — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 72 km (45 mi) N of Marquette. Its recorded tower height is about 30 m (98 ft). It dates from 1883. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Stannard Rock Light is a lighthouse located on a reef that was the most serious hazard to navigation on Lake Superior. The exposed crib of the Stannard Rock Light is rated as one of the top ten engineering feats in the United States. It is 24 miles (39 km) from the nearest land, making it the most distant (from shore) lighthouse in the United States. It was one of the "stag stations", manned only by men, and had the nickname "The Loneliest Place in the World". The lighthouse was automated in 1962 and the United States Coast Guard still maintains it as an active aid to navigation. It is closed to the public and can only be viewed by boat or airplane. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.From the Wikipedia article “Stannard Rock Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Stannard Rock 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) | 7:53 AM | 90° E | 8:02 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:54 AM | 53° NE | 9:49 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:36 AM | 89° E | 7:49 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:33 AM | 125° SE | 5:02 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 29m |
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 | 7:57 AM | 8:32 AM | 9:21 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:26 PM | 6:01 PM | 8h 55m |
| February | 7:23 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:38 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:45 PM | 10h 18m |
| March | 7:32 AM | 8:03 AM | 8:43 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:25 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:29 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:10 PM | 13h 36m |
| May | 5:38 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:58 AM | 8:34 PM | 9:18 PM | 9:55 PM | 15h 05m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:59 PM | 9:47 PM | 10:27 PM | 15h 54m |
| July | 5:31 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:56 PM | 9:42 PM | 10:20 PM | 15h 33m |
| August | 6:13 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:36 PM | 14h 16m |
| September | 6:56 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:07 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:34 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:37 AM | 8:08 AM | 8:49 AM | 6:21 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:34 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 7:20 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:41 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:48 PM | 9h 22m |
| December | 7:54 AM | 8:30 AM | 9:22 AM | 4:08 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:36 PM | 8h 31m |
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 Stannard Rock 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 | 6:17 AM – 6:17 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 4:11 AM – 5:01 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:20 AM – 3:50 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:47 AM – 2:47 AM | 2.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 12:21 AM – 1:41 AM | 1.3 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 11:05 PM – 11:45 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Stannard Rock Light?
What time is golden hour at Stannard Rock Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Stannard Rock Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Stannard Rock Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Stannard Rock Light?
How far is Stannard Rock Light from Marquette?
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.