Located in Cumberland County, New Jersey, Cross Ledge Light is a lighthouse. The nearest town is Port Norris, about 17.5 km (10.9 mi) away (Cross Ledge Light lies WSW of town). It dates from 1875.
The Cross Ledge Light was a lighthouse on the north side of the ship channel in Delaware Bay off of Cumberland County, New Jersey on the East Coast of the United States, southwest of Egg Island Point. It was replaced by the Elbow of Cross Ledge Light and the Miah Maull Shoal Light in the early 1900s and razed by the United States Coast Guard in 1962.From the Wikipedia article “Cross Ledge Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cross Ledge 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) | 7:05 AM | 90° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 58° ENE | 8:31 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 56m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:49 AM | 89° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 AM | 120° ESE | 4:42 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 24m |
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 | 6:50 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 43m |
| February | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:35 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 19m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 55m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 40m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:18 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:38 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:51 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 03m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 26m |
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 Cross Ledge 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:08 AM – 5:18 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:17 AM – 5:37 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:14 AM – 4:44 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:16 AM – 3:56 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:30 PM – 3:30 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:22 PM – 2:02 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:38 PM – 12:08 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 10:02 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:53 PM – 8:03 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: 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 ≈ 20.63 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 December as the cloudiest (63%). 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 | 67 | 72 | 77 | 91 | 90 | 97 | 102 | 100 | 96 | 95 | 76 | 70 |
| Low °F | 0 | -1 | -3 | 25 | 35 | 46 | 55 | 54 | 43 | 30 | 21 | 10 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 3.9 |
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 Fortescue Creek, 6.1 km (3.8 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Cross Ledge Light, closest first.
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LighthouseBeachFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cross Ledge Light?
What time is golden hour at Cross Ledge Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cross Ledge Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cross Ledge Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cross Ledge Light?
How far is Cross Ledge Light from Port Norris?
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.