Located in Harrison County, Mississippi, Merrill Shell Bank Light is a lighthouse. The nearest town is Pass Christian, about 8.1 km (5.0 mi) away (Merrill Shell Bank Light lies S of town). It dates from 1860.
The Merrill Shell Bank Light was a screw-pile lighthouse which once stood on its eponymous shoal in the Mississippi Sound, west of Cat Island and south of Pass Christian, Mississippi. It was replaced by a skeleton tower on the same foundation.From the Wikipedia article “Merrill Shell Bank Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Merrill Shell Bank 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 36° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:02 AM | 90° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:57 AM | 62° ENE | 8:02 PM | 298° WNW | 83° | 14h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:46 AM | 89° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:50 AM | 117° ESE | 5:02 PM | 243° WSW | 36° | 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 | 6:29 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 24m |
| February | 6:14 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:11 PM | 11h 08m |
| March | 6:44 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:06 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:03 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 54m |
| May | 5:38 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 40m |
| June | 5:28 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 05m |
| July | 5:39 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 55m |
| August | 6:00 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 15m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:28 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 6:35 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:51 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 5:58 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:58 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:27 PM | 10h 38m |
| December | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:23 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:26 PM | 10h 12m |
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 Merrill Shell Bank 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:17 AM – 5:17 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:25 AM – 5:45 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:28 AM – 4:58 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 11:25 PM – 4:25 AM | 5.0 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:38 PM – 4:18 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:35 PM – 2:45 AM | 5.2 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:06 PM – 12:46 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 8:25 PM – 10:45 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:47 PM – 8:47 PM | 1.0 | 19° | 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.85 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (60%). 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 | 76 | 80 | 85 | 90 | 98 | 106 | 103 | 106 | 99 | 94 | 83 | 80 |
| Low °F | 17 | 24 | 25 | 38 | 43 | 59 | 65 | 58 | 50 | 36 | 25 | 25 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.9 | 4.9 | 4.7 | 5.3 | 4.7 | 7.1 | 6.9 | 7.2 | 5.5 | 4.1 | 3.2 | 5.4 |
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.
- 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.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Pass Christian Yacht Club, Mississippi Sound, 7.5 km (4.7 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Merrill Shell Bank Light, closest first.
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LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Merrill Shell Bank Light?
What time is golden hour at Merrill Shell Bank Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Merrill Shell Bank Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Merrill Shell Bank Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Merrill Shell Bank Light?
How far is Merrill Shell Bank Light from Pass Christian?
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.