Fort Tompkins Light — a lighthouse in Richmond County, New York — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 600 m NNE of Fort Wadsworth. It dates from 1828.
Fort Tompkins Light was a lighthouse located on Staten Island, New York City, on the west side of the Narrows in New York Bay. The lighthouse was established by Fort Tompkins Military Base in 1828 to guide ships to Staten Island. The lighthouse did not keep records due to its close proximity to land. Consequently, very little record survives beyond those kept by the lighthouse board. The Board archives illustrate the precarious location of the lighthouse. On more than one occasion the lighthouse became a target and various explosions caused the glass in the lantern room to break. They moved the lighthouse in 1871 out of battery range and it was no longer near the water. Its first light in the new location was in 1872. A fourth order Fresnel lens was installed in 1900. The light was an alternate flashing red and white with an interval between flashes of 10 seconds. Three years later...From the Wikipedia article “Fort Tompkins Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Fort Tompkins Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:01 AM | 90° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:26 AM | 58° ENE | 8:31 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:44 AM | 89° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 121° ESE | 4:33 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 16m |
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 | 6:48 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:50 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:09 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 4:52 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:03 PM | 15h 04m |
| July | 5:06 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 48m |
| August | 5:38 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:24 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 17m |
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 Fort Tompkins Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 9 (inner-city 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:13 AM – 5:13 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:24 AM – 5:34 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:23 AM – 4:33 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:18 AM – 3:38 AM | 3.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:34 PM – 3:14 AM | 4.7 | 21° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:25 PM – 1:55 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:38 PM – 11:48 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:40 PM – 9:50 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:48 PM – 7:48 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| 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: 9 Bortle 9 — Inner-city sky. Only the Moon, planets and a few bright stars are visible. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 17.65 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 51% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 71 | 73 | 91 | 88 | 96 | 102 | 101 | 96 | 92 | 75 | 71 |
| Low °F | -2 | -3 | 0 | 24 | 33 | 44 | 52 | 53 | 43 | 28 | 14 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 4.4 |
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
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 USCG Station NY, 863 m away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Fort Tompkins Light, closest first.
Lighthouse
Beach
Lighthouse
Mountain Peak
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Camp Gateway - Staten Island655 m · reservable
- Camp Gateway- Brooklyn Ny14.4 km (8.9 mi) · reservable
- Camp Gateway - Sandy Hook18.0 km (11.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Fort Tompkins Light?
What time is golden hour at Fort Tompkins Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Fort Tompkins Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Fort Tompkins Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Fort Tompkins Light?
How far is Fort Tompkins Light from Fort Wadsworth?
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.