Race Rock Light — a lighthouse in Suffolk County, New York — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Noank, about 10.5 km (6.5 mi) away (Race Rock Light lies SSW of town). Its recorded tower height is about 14 m (46 ft). It dates from 1878. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Race Rock Light is a lighthouse on Race Rock Reef, a dangerous set of rocks in the Long Island Sound southwest of Fishers Island, New York and the site of many shipwrecks. It is currently owned and maintained by the New London Maritime Society as part of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act program. Race Rock Light was built 1871–78 and designed by Francis Hopkinson Smith (1838–1915). It is an excellent example of 19th-century engineering and design. The massive masonry foundations on the reef took seven years to complete, but the stone structure, the keeper's quarters, and the tower were built in only nine months once the foundation was secure. The lighthouse has a fourth-order Fresnel lens in a tower standing 67 feet (20 m) above the waterline. The United States Coast Guard automated the light in 1978. Race Rock Lighthouse was added to the National Register of...From the Wikipedia article “Race Rock Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Race Rock Light 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 | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:16 AM | 57° ENE | 8:25 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 09m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:36 AM | 89° E | 6:47 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:11 AM | 121° ESE | 4:23 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 | 4:01 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 32m |
| February | 6:16 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 6:34 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:57 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 29m |
| June | 4:42 AM | 5:16 AM | 5:57 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:57 PM | 15h 08m |
| July | 4:56 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 52m |
| August | 5:29 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 51m |
| September | 6:02 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:27 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:37 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:07 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:18 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 53m |
| December | 6:36 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:52 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:52 PM | 9h 13m |
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 Race Rock Light, 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 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:05 AM – 5:05 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:17 AM – 5:27 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:17 AM – 4:27 AM | 2.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:14 AM – 3:34 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:32 PM – 3:02 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:22 PM – 1:42 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:33 PM – 11:33 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:33 PM – 9:33 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:40 PM – 7:40 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: 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 ≈ 20.33 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Silver Eel Pond, Fishers Island, N.Y., 2.0 km (1.3 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Race Rock Light, closest first.
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State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Race Rock Light?
What time is golden hour at Race Rock Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Race Rock Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Race Rock Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Race Rock Light?
How far is Race Rock Light from Noank?
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.