Galloo Island Light is a lighthouse in Jefferson County, New York at about 76 m (249 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Sackets Harbor, about 27 km (17 mi) away (Galloo Island Light lies WSW of town). It dates from 1820. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Galloo Island Light is a historic lighthouse that is located the South Western side of the island of Galloo. It is found six miles off the mainland of Jefferson Country which is part of the state of New York. According to its location, it falls under the jurisdiction of the town of Hounsfield. The light tower and the majority of the island are privately owned. However, because of the law, the Coast Guard is permitted to cross into this private property because of the light in the tower that is used to guide ships. The lighthouse is a fixed white light that produces a beam that is visible at a maximum distance of 15 miles. It also consists of a steam whistle that it sounds when the weather turns foggy. The whistle blows for 10 seconds and then it is silent for 30 seconds. The island does not have a harbor and landings have to be made from smaller boats. Today it stands tall and...From the Wikipedia article “Galloo Island Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Galloo Island Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:24 AM | 56° NE | 8:52 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 123° ESE | 4:32 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 54m |
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 | 7:06 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 16m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:08 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 44m |
| June | 4:47 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:08 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 27m |
| July | 5:03 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:22 PM | 15h 09m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:30 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:45 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 40m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:21 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:02 PM | 8h 56m |
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 Galloo Island Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:59 AM – 5:39 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:55 AM – 4:35 AM | 1.7 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:00 AM – 3:30 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:16 PM – 2:56 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:02 PM – 1:32 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:04 PM – 11:34 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:57 PM – 9:27 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.79 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 69% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (86%). 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 | 56 | 58 | 72 | 78 | 86 | 92 | 93 | 92 | 89 | 81 | 70 | 62 |
| Low °F | -6 | -11 | -4 | 17 | 31 | 40 | 49 | 51 | 40 | 28 | 12 | 3 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 3.8 |
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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Galloo Island Light, closest first.
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LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Galloo Island Light?
What time is golden hour at Galloo Island Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Galloo Island Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Galloo Island Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Galloo Island Light?
How far is Galloo Island Light from Sackets Harbor?
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.