Located in Wayne County, New York, Sodus Point Light is a lighthouse at about 75 m (246 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Sodus, about 7.3 km (4.5 mi) away (Sodus Point Light lies ENE of town). Its recorded tower height is about 14 m (46 ft). It dates from 1825. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sodus Point Light is a lighthouse that was built on Sodus Point on Lake Ontario, New York. The lighthouse has been replaced by a modern skeleton tower. The lighthouse tower is a square, pyramidal cast iron tower on a concrete and stone pier. It is white with red trim. There is a 21⁄2 story limestone keepers quarters that was built in 1871, which is currently used as a museum. The lighthouse is owned by the Village of Sodus Point, New York. There is a long-term lease with the Sodus Bay Historical Society to manage the lighthouse. The lighthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places, with reference #76001288, as Sodus Point Lighthouse. The pier and shore light served simultaneously from 1834 until 1901. The dwelling was used by the Coast Guard as housing until 1984. There is a 31⁄2 order Fresnel lens on display.From the Wikipedia article “Sodus Point Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sodus Point Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (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) | 7:12 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:29 AM | 56° NE | 8:52 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 122° ESE | 4:36 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 58m |
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 | 4:13 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 20m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:12 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 41m |
| June | 4:53 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:12 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 22m |
| July | 5:08 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:24 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:21 PM | 15h 05m |
| August | 5:43 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 59m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:31 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 43m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:20 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 00m |
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 Sodus Point Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:50 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:54 AM – 4:34 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:57 AM – 3:37 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:10 PM – 3:00 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:58 PM – 1:48 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:02 PM – 11:42 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:57 PM – 9:37 PM | 0.7 | 14° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.52 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 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
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Sodus Point Light, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sodus Point Light?
What time is golden hour at Sodus Point Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sodus Point Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sodus Point Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sodus Point Light?
How far is Sodus Point Light from Sodus?
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.