Dunkirk Light — a lighthouse in Chautauqua County, New York — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 2.3 km (1.4 mi) NW of Dunkirk. Its recorded tower height is about 18 m (61 ft). It dates from 1826. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Dunkirk Lighthouse, also known as the Point Gratiot Light, is an active lighthouse located at Point Gratiot on Lake Erie in New York state. The lighthouse was established in 1826 and the current tower was first lit in 1875. The lighthouse was automated in 1960 and is still operational. The foundation is made out of dressed stone and the lighthouse is made out of rubblestone encased in brick. The tower is square-shaped with the upper two thirds in white and the lower third left natural and the lantern housing in red. The original lens is a third order Fresnel lens installed in 1857 in the original 1826 light and is still in operation. Its being still in use makes it a rarity. Only 70 such lenses are operational in the United States, 16 being on the Great Lakes of which two are in New York. At the entrance to the park property is the South Buffalo North Side Light, formerly...From the Wikipedia article “Dunkirk Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Dunkirk Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:22 AM | 90° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:41 AM | 57° ENE | 8:59 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 18m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:05 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:45 AM | 122° ESE | 4:48 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 03m |
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 | 7:14 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:29 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 25m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:08 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 36m |
| June | 5:06 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:23 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:32 PM | 15h 17m |
| July | 5:20 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:36 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:28 PM | 15h 00m |
| August | 5:55 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:51 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:05 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 47m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:26 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 05m |
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 Dunkirk Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:58 AM – 5:48 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:50 AM – 4:50 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 1:01 AM – 3:51 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:12 PM – 3:22 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:01 PM – 2:01 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:08 PM – 11:58 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:05 PM – 9:55 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.62 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 64% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (86%). July 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 | 55 | 57 | 71 | 71 | 82 | 89 | 90 | 89 | 87 | 82 | 68 | 59 |
| Low °F | -3 | -9 | -3 | 18 | 31 | 38 | 46 | 53 | 42 | 29 | 19 | 8 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Dunkirk Light, closest first.
State Park
WaterfallWaterfall
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Dunkirk Light?
What time is golden hour at Dunkirk Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Dunkirk Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Dunkirk Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Dunkirk Light?
How far is Dunkirk Light from Dunkirk?
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.