Located in Erie County, New York, South Buffalo North Side Light is a lighthouse. It sits roughly 3.8 km (2.4 mi) WNW of Lackawanna. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
South Buffalo North Side Light is a lighthouse formerly located at the entrance to Buffalo Harbor, Buffalo, New York. It is one of two "bottle shaped" beacons located in Buffalo Harbor; the other is the Buffalo North Breakwater South End Light. It is a 29-foot-high (8.8 m) beacon constructed of boiler plate. It measures 10 feet 3⁄4 inch (3.067 m) at the bottom and 2 feet 3 inches (0.69 m) at the top. It is distinguished by four cast-iron port windows and a curved iron door. It was first lit on September 1, 1903, and originally equipped with a 6th-order Fresnel lens. A battery-operated 12-volt lamp with a 12-inch (300 mm) green plastic lens was installed in the beacon c. 1960, when a domed roof formerly mounted over the lens was removed. The beacon was removed in 1985, and now stands at the gate to the Dunkirk Lighthouse and Veterans Park Museum. Its twin is located on the grounds...From the Wikipedia article “South Buffalo North Side Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At South Buffalo North Side Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (ENE) 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 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:20 AM | 90° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 56° ENE | 8:58 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 21m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:03 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:44 AM | 122° ESE | 4:45 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 01m |
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 | 7:13 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 23m |
| February | 6:45 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:50 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:05 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 38m |
| June | 5:02 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:20 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:32 PM | 15h 19m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:33 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 02m |
| August | 5:52 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:50 PM | 13h 57m |
| September | 6:27 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:03 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 45m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:26 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 03m |
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 South Buffalo North Side Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 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 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:56 AM – 5:46 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:59 AM – 4:49 AM | 1.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:00 AM – 3:50 AM | 2.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:12 PM – 3:12 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:01 PM – 1:51 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:07 PM – 11:57 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:03 PM – 9:53 PM | 0.8 | 15° | 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.47 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 56% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (85%). 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 | 59 | 64 | 75 | 78 | 89 | 92 | 94 | 93 | 93 | 85 | 72 | 65 |
| Low °F | -8 | -12 | -4 | 14 | 25 | 37 | 45 | 46 | 37 | 25 | 2 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of South Buffalo North Side Light, closest first.
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WaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph South Buffalo North Side Light?
What time is golden hour at South Buffalo North Side Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at South Buffalo North Side Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from South Buffalo North Side Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at South Buffalo North Side Light?
How far is South Buffalo North Side Light from Lackawanna?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.