Sunken Rock Light — a lighthouse in Jefferson County, New York at about 74 m (243 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 1.1 km (0.7 mi) N of Alexandria Bay. Its recorded tower height is about 9 m (30 ft). It dates from 1847.
Sunken Rock Light is a lighthouse in Bush Island, New York. It was converted to solar power in 1988. It is maintained by the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation pursuant to an agreement with the U.S. Coast Guard authorized under 14 USC 81.From the Wikipedia article “Sunken Rock Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sunken Rock Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:08 AM | 90° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:20 AM | 55° NE | 8:52 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:37 AM | 123° ESE | 4:28 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 51m |
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 | 7:05 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 13m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 6:48 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:50 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:04 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 47m |
| June | 4:43 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:04 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 31m |
| July | 4:59 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:17 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:22 PM | 15h 12m |
| August | 5:36 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:29 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:44 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 7:00 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:21 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:26 PM | 4:59 PM | 8h 52m |
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 Sunken Rock Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:57 AM – 5:37 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:54 AM – 4:24 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:00 AM – 3:30 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:17 PM – 2:47 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:02 PM – 1:32 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:03 PM – 11:33 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:56 PM – 9:26 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.83 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 53% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (82%). 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 | 60 | 77 | 81 | 90 | 92 | 96 | 96 | 95 | 82 | 71 | 63 |
| Low °F | -27 | -27 | -16 | 13 | 25 | 35 | 46 | 46 | 33 | 21 | 0 | -19 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 2.8 | 2.8 |
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.
- 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 Sunken Rock Light, closest first.
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State ParkLighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sunken Rock Light?
What time is golden hour at Sunken Rock Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sunken Rock Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sunken Rock Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sunken Rock Light?
How far is Sunken Rock Light from Alexandria Bay?
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.