Located in Lucas County, Ohio, Turtle Island Light is a lighthouse. The nearest town is Luna Pier, about 7.4 km (4.6 mi) away (Turtle Island Light lies SE of town). It dates from 1831.
Turtle Island Light is a deactivated lighthouse located on Turtle Island in Lake Erie. The small island is divided between the U.S. states of Michigan and Ohio, with the abandoned lighthouse structure located within Ohio. When Turtle Island fell back to federal ownership, the newly established Port of Toledo received $5,000 of federal funding from the United States Congress to build the lighthouse in 1831. At the time, the island's area was approximately 6.67 acres (2.70 ha), and the island included the lighthouse, the lighthouse keeper's residence, and a small farm.From the Wikipedia article “Turtle Island Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Turtle Island Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (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) | 7:38 AM | 90° E | 7:46 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:00 AM | 57° ENE | 9:12 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 13m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:22 AM | 89° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:58 AM | 122° ESE | 5:07 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 08m |
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 | 7:28 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:42 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:59 PM | 9h 29m |
| February | 7:02 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:36 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 7:19 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:23 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:08 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:25 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:31 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 5:43 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 32m |
| June | 5:25 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:29 PM | 9:11 PM | 9:45 PM | 15h 12m |
| July | 5:39 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:54 AM | 8:27 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:41 PM | 14h 55m |
| August | 6:13 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:05 PM | 13h 53m |
| September | 6:47 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:13 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:18 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:24 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:54 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 51m |
| December | 7:23 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:39 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 10m |
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 Turtle Island Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 5:04 AM – 6:04 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 3:05 AM – 5:05 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 1:03 AM – 4:13 AM | 3.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| June | 11:22 PM – 3:42 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:12 PM – 2:22 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 10:22 PM – 12:22 AM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 9:20 PM – 10:20 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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 ≈ 20.24 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 48% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (79%). 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 | 64 | 70 | 82 | 82 | 91 | 101 | 104 | 100 | 97 | 88 | 78 | 67 |
| Low °F | -16 | -12 | -2 | 18 | 26 | 39 | 47 | 47 | 37 | 26 | 11 | -10 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.4 |
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
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Turtle Island Light, closest first.
Lighthouse
National Wildlife Refuge
State Park
National Wildlife Refuge
State Park
National Wildlife Refuge
Lighthouse
National Wildlife RefugeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Turtle Island Light?
What time is golden hour at Turtle Island Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Turtle Island Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Turtle Island Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Turtle Island Light?
How far is Turtle Island Light from Luna Pier?
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.