Roanoke Marshes Light — a lighthouse in Dare County, North Carolina — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 6.6 km (4.1 mi) WSW of Wanchese.
Roanoke Marshes Light was a screw-pile lighthouse in North Carolina, United States.From the Wikipedia article “Roanoke Marshes Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Roanoke Marshes Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:07 AM | 90° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:48 AM | 60° ENE | 8:23 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 35m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:10 AM | 119° ESE | 4:53 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 44m |
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 | 6:45 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:41 PM | 10h 00m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:26 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:04 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:30 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 03m |
| June | 5:17 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 34m |
| July | 5:29 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 21m |
| August | 5:55 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:44 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:13 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:17 AM | 4:20 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:24 PM | 10h 17m |
| December | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 45m |
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 Roanoke Marshes Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:51 AM – 5:21 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:56 AM – 5:46 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:56 AM – 4:56 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:02 AM – 4:12 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:10 PM – 3:50 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:05 PM – 2:25 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:28 PM – 12:28 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:38 PM – 10:28 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:54 PM – 8:24 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.77 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 53% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (74%). 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 | 70 | 69 | 70 | 76 | 84 | 89 | 89 | 89 | 87 | 83 | 75 | 71 |
| Low °F | 25 | 22 | 32 | 43 | 49 | 63 | 70 | 71 | 62 | 47 | 38 | 28 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 5.7 | 6.6 | 6.7 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 4.2 |
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
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Roanoke Marshes Light, Croatan Sound, 83 m away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Roanoke Marshes Light, closest first.
State Park
Lighthouse
BeachBeach
Beach
National Wildlife Refuge
Ghost TownBeach
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Roanoke Marshes Light?
What time is golden hour at Roanoke Marshes Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Roanoke Marshes Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Roanoke Marshes Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Roanoke Marshes Light?
How far is Roanoke Marshes Light from Wanchese?
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.