Chandeleur Island Light is a lighthouse in Harrison County, Mississippi. It is part of Breton National Wildlife Refuge. The nearest town is Biloxi, about 39 km (24 mi) away (Chandeleur Island Light lies S of town). It dates from 1848. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Chandeleur Island Light was a lighthouse established in 1848 near the northern end of the Chandeleur Islands in the Gulf of Mexico, off the east coast of Louisiana. Hurricane Katrina destroyed the light in 2005.From the Wikipedia article “Chandeleur Island Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Chandeleur Island Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 83° in summer but only 37° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:00 AM | 90° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:56 AM | 62° ENE | 8:01 PM | 298° WNW | 83° | 14h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:45 AM | 89° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:48 AM | 117° ESE | 5:01 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 12m |
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 | 6:27 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:44 PM | 10h 25m |
| February | 6:12 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:09 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:09 PM | 11h 08m |
| March | 6:42 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:05 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:01 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 54m |
| May | 5:37 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 40m |
| June | 5:27 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:24 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:26 PM | 14h 04m |
| July | 5:38 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:25 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 54m |
| August | 5:59 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 14m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:26 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 6:34 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 5:56 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:56 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:26 PM | 10h 39m |
| December | 6:18 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:22 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:25 PM | 10h 13m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Chandeleur Island Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 31° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:16 AM – 5:06 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:24 AM – 5:44 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:27 AM – 4:57 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 11:24 PM – 4:24 AM | 5.0 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:36 PM – 4:16 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:33 PM – 2:53 AM | 5.3 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:05 PM – 12:45 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 8:23 PM – 10:43 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:46 PM – 8:46 PM | 1.0 | 20° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.57 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 40% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 74 | 77 | 82 | 86 | 95 | 99 | 98 | 99 | 95 | 94 | 85 | 76 |
| Low °F | 21 | 28 | 29 | 42 | 48 | 66 | 69 | 63 | 56 | 42 | 30 | 28 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.9 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 4.7 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 7.1 | 5.6 | 4.1 | 3.2 | 5.5 |
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.
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.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Chandeleur Light, 624 m away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Chandeleur Island Light, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Chandeleur Island Light?
What time is golden hour at Chandeleur Island Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Chandeleur Island Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Chandeleur Island Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Chandeleur Island Light?
How far is Chandeleur Island Light from Biloxi?
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.