Located in Alcona County, Michigan, Sturgeon Point Light is a lighthouse. It is part of Sturgeon Point Park. The nearest town is Hubbard Lake, about 22 km (14 mi) away (Sturgeon Point Light lies ESE of town). Its recorded tower height is about 22 m (72 ft). It dates from 1869. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Sturgeon Point Light Station is a lighthouse on Lake Huron in Haynes Township, Alcona County, in the northeastern part of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Established to ward mariners off a reef that extends 1.5 miles (2.4 km) lakeward from Sturgeon Point, it is today regarded as a historic example of a Cape Cod style Great Lakes lighthouse.From the Wikipedia article “Sturgeon Point Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sturgeon Point Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (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) | 7:37 AM | 90° E | 7:46 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:48 AM | 55° NE | 9:23 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 35m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:21 AM | 89° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:08 AM | 123° ESE | 4:56 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 48m |
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 | 7:35 AM | 8:08 AM | 8:54 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:51 PM | 9h 11m |
| February | 7:05 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:16 AM | 5:21 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:32 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 7:17 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:25 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:08 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:19 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:29 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:48 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 5:32 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:29 PM | 14h 49m |
| June | 5:11 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:33 AM | 8:36 PM | 9:21 PM | 9:58 PM | 15h 33m |
| July | 5:27 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:46 AM | 8:33 PM | 9:17 PM | 9:53 PM | 15h 15m |
| August | 6:04 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 6:43 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:51 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:15 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:19 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:29 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:59 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 36m |
| December | 7:31 AM | 8:04 AM | 8:53 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:27 PM | 8h 50m |
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 Sturgeon Point Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° 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 | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:37 AM – 5:57 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:35 AM – 4:55 AM | 1.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:32 AM – 3:52 AM | 2.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:51 PM – 3:11 AM | 3.3 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:36 PM – 1:56 AM | 2.3 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:35 PM – 11:55 PM | 1.3 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:26 PM – 9:56 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.9 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 60% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (81%). 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 | 51 | 61 | 78 | 78 | 87 | 91 | 95 | 94 | 90 | 87 | 69 | 60 |
| Low °F | -15 | -19 | -12 | 3 | 24 | 34 | 42 | 42 | 35 | 25 | 12 | -8 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 2.3 | 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
- 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 Sturgeon Point Light, closest first.
Sand Dunes
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How far is Sturgeon Point Light from Hubbard Lake?
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.