West Sister Island Light is a lighthouse in Ottawa County, Ohio. It is part of West Sister Island National Wildlife Refuge. It sits roughly 25 km (16 mi) ENE of Curtice. Its recorded tower height is about 17 m (56 ft). It dates from 1848. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
West Sister Island is an island of the U.S. state of Ohio located in the Western Basin of Lake Erie. The 82 acres (33 ha) island, jointly managed by the United States Coast Guard and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is Ohio's only designated Wilderness Area, the West Sister Island National Wildlife Refuge. Most of the island is covered with trees. Tall hackberry trees make up most of the canopy, with poison ivy on the ground. Polygonatum and a great variety of ferns, wildflowers, mushrooms, and other plant life can also be found. The island is part of the Pelee Archipelago which also includes East Sister Island and Middle Sister Island (both in Ontario, Canada). West Sister Island is roughly 13 miles west of Rattlesnake Island, 14.5 miles east of Turtle Island, and 8.75 miles due north of the Ohio mainland.From the Wikipedia article “West Sister Island”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At West Sister 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) | 7:37 AM | 90° E | 7:45 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:59 AM | 57° ENE | 9:11 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 13m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:21 AM | 89° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:57 AM | 122° ESE | 5:06 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 | 7:27 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:41 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:58 PM | 9h 29m |
| February | 7:00 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:22 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:07 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:24 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:42 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 5:42 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:54 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 32m |
| June | 5:24 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:27 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:44 PM | 15h 11m |
| July | 5:38 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:06 PM | 9:40 PM | 14h 55m |
| August | 6:12 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:04 PM | 13h 53m |
| September | 6:45 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:50 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:12 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:17 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:23 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 51m |
| December | 7:22 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:38 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:35 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 West Sister 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 5:02 AM – 6:02 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 3:03 AM – 5:03 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 1:01 AM – 4:11 AM | 3.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| June | 11:20 PM – 3:40 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:10 PM – 2:20 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 10:20 PM – 12:20 AM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 9:18 PM – 10:18 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.96 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
- 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.
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Launching or landing drones on National Wildlife Refuge lands generally requires a special use permit from the refuge manager, and wildlife disturbance rules apply everywhere.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of West Sister Island Light, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph West Sister Island Light?
What time is golden hour at West Sister Island Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at West Sister Island Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from West Sister Island Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at West Sister Island Light?
How far is West Sister Island Light from Curtice?
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.