Gardiner Island Lighthouse — a lighthouse in Suffolk County, New York — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Springs, about 14.0 km (8.7 mi) away (Gardiner Island Lighthouse lies N of town).
Wikidata describes it as: “formerly a lighthouse in Suffolk County, New York, United States”.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Gardiner Island Lighthouse the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (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 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:53 AM | 90° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:17 AM | 57° ENE | 8:25 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 09m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:37 AM | 89° E | 6:48 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:11 AM | 121° ESE | 4:24 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 12m |
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 | 6:42 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 32m |
| February | 6:16 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 39m |
| March | 6:34 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:57 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:00 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 29m |
| June | 4:43 AM | 5:16 AM | 5:58 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:57 PM | 15h 07m |
| July | 4:57 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 51m |
| August | 5:29 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 50m |
| September | 6:02 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:27 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:37 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:08 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:18 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 54m |
| December | 6:37 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:52 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:53 PM | 9h 14m |
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 Gardiner Island Lighthouse, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | 5:06 AM – 5:06 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:18 AM – 5:28 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:18 AM – 4:28 AM | 2.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:15 AM – 3:35 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:33 PM – 3:03 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:23 PM – 1:43 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:34 PM – 11:34 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:34 PM – 9:34 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:41 PM – 7:41 PM | 0.0 | 10° | 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: 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 ≈ 20.53 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 49% 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 | 63 | 63 | 73 | 89 | 87 | 94 | 100 | 100 | 95 | 86 | 76 | 68 |
| Low °F | -10 | -12 | -1 | 21 | 33 | 40 | 51 | 51 | 41 | 23 | 10 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 4.3 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Plum Gut Harbor, Plum Island, 6.0 km (3.7 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Gardiner Island Lighthouse, closest first.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
State ParkLighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Gardiner Island Lighthouse?
What time is golden hour at Gardiner Island Lighthouse?
Where does the sun rise and set at Gardiner Island Lighthouse?
Can you see the Milky Way from Gardiner Island Lighthouse?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Gardiner Island Lighthouse?
How far is Gardiner Island Lighthouse from Springs?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata. 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.