Located in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Absecon Light is a lighthouse. The nearest town is Atlantic City, about 800 m away (Absecon Light lies ENE of town). Its recorded tower height is about 52 m (171 ft). It dates from 1856. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Absecon Lighthouse is a coastal lighthouse located in the north end of Atlantic City, New Jersey, overlooking Absecon Inlet. At 171 feet (52 m) it is the tallest lighthouse in the state of New Jersey and the third-tallest masonry lighthouse in the United States. Construction on Absecon Lighthouse began in 1854, with the light first lit on January 15, 1857. The lighthouse was deactivated in 1933 and, although the light still shines every night, it is no longer an active navigational aid. The lighthouse is open to public visitation and, for a small donation, one may climb to the watch room and external gallery. A re-creation of the keepers' quarters was opened in 2002 and serves as a museum and gift shop. The original oil house now contains a Fresnel lens exhibit. Along with school and group tours, the Absecon Lighthouse offers an overnight program for Scouts, a winter arts...From the Wikipedia article “Absecon Lighthouse”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Absecon Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:02 AM | 90° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:32 AM | 58° ENE | 8:29 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:46 AM | 89° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 120° ESE | 4:38 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 23m |
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 | 6:47 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 42m |
| February | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:43 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:15 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 20m |
| June | 4:59 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 56m |
| July | 5:12 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 41m |
| August | 5:42 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:15 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:13 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:13 PM | 10h 02m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:54 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 25m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Absecon Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:05 AM – 5:15 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:14 AM – 5:34 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:11 AM – 4:41 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:13 AM – 3:53 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:27 PM – 3:27 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:19 PM – 1:59 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:35 PM – 12:05 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:39 PM – 9:59 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:50 PM – 8:00 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.75 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 50% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 64 | 62 | 68 | 80 | 83 | 88 | 92 | 91 | 88 | 84 | 71 | 67 |
| Low °F | 6 | 5 | 11 | 29 | 37 | 49 | 58 | 58 | 50 | 37 | 25 | 14 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 4.5 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Atlantic City (Ocean), 1.1 km (0.7 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Absecon Light, closest first.
Beach
Lighthouse
National Wildlife RefugeLighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Absecon Light?
What time is golden hour at Absecon Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Absecon Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Absecon Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Absecon Light?
How far is Absecon Light from Atlantic City?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.