Located in Alpena County, Michigan, Thunder Bay Island Light is a lighthouse. It is part of Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge. It sits roughly 18.9 km (11.7 mi) E of Alpena. Its recorded tower height is about 19 m (62 ft). It dates from 1831. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Thunder Bay Island Light, located on Thunder Bay Island's southeast tip, is one of the oldest operating lighthouses in Michigan. The third operating U.S. lighthouse in Lake Huron was built here in 1831, but it disintegrated almost at once and was rebuilt in 1832 of local limestone. This 40-foot (12 m) 1830s light tower was raised 10 feet (3.0 m)) to a height of 50 feet (15 m) in 1857, and sheathed with brick. A fourth order Fresnel lens was installed. This 1857 light tower is the current Thunder Bay Island Light, although the tower has been further altered and is currently 63 feet (19 m) high. A fog bell was installed in 1858, and the lightkeeper's house was rebuilt in 1868. A steam-powered fog horn was added in 1871, and a fog signal building sheltering the fog signal apparatus was constructed in 1892. The lighthouse was staffed during the seasons of Great Lakes navigation...From the Wikipedia article “Thunder Bay Island Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Thunder Bay Island 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 68° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:37 AM | 90° E | 7:45 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:47 AM | 55° NE | 9:24 PM | 305° NW | 68° | 15h 37m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:20 AM | 89° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:09 AM | 123° ESE | 4:54 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 45m |
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 | 8:55 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 09m |
| February | 7:05 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:16 AM | 5:19 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:31 PM | 10h 26m |
| March | 7:17 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:25 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:08 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:18 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 5:30 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:30 PM | 14h 51m |
| June | 5:09 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:37 PM | 9:22 PM | 9:59 PM | 15h 36m |
| July | 5:25 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:34 PM | 9:18 PM | 9:54 PM | 15h 17m |
| August | 6:03 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 06m |
| September | 6:43 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:51 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:15 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:19 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:29 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 7:00 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:16 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 34m |
| December | 7:31 AM | 8:05 AM | 8:54 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:26 PM | 8h 47m |
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 Thunder Bay Island Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.2 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 2 (typical truly dark 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 | 3:36 AM – 4:56 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:34 AM – 3:44 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:55 PM – 3:05 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:39 PM – 1:49 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:36 PM – 11:46 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:27 PM – 9:47 PM | 0.3 | 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: 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 ≈ 21.87 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ 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 66% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (82%). 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 | 44 | 53 | 68 | 67 | 76 | 80 | 87 | 85 | 83 | 76 | 64 | 57 |
| Low °F | -8 | -16 | -7 | 12 | 29 | 36 | 45 | 51 | 40 | 31 | 15 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 2.5 | 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.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Launching or landing drones on National Wildlife Refuge lands generally requires a special use permit from the refuge manager, and wildlife disturbance rules apply everywhere.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Thunder Bay Island Light, closest first.
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State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Thunder Bay Island Light?
What time is golden hour at Thunder Bay Island Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Thunder Bay Island Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Thunder Bay Island Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Thunder Bay Island Light?
How far is Thunder Bay Island Light from Alpena?
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.