Tongue Point Lighthouse — a lighthouse in Clatsop County, Oregon — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 5.5 km (3.4 mi) ENE of Astoria.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Tongue Point Lighthouse the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:19 AM | 89° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:24 AM | 54° NE | 9:11 PM | 306° NW | 67° | 15h 47m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:03 AM | 89° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:56 AM | 124° SE | 4:32 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 37m |
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 | 7:21 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:42 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 01m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 22m |
| March | 6:59 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 33m |
| May | 5:08 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 58m |
| June | 4:45 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:10 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:48 PM | 15h 46m |
| July | 5:02 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:24 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:42 PM | 15h 25m |
| August | 5:42 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 11m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:14 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:30 PM | 7:00 PM | 10h 57m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 27m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:42 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:05 PM | 8h 38m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Tongue Point Lighthouse, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:31 AM – 5:41 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:33 AM – 4:33 AM | 1.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:27 AM – 3:17 AM | 1.8 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:54 PM – 2:34 AM | 2.7 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:34 PM – 1:24 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:25 PM – 11:15 PM | 0.8 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:11 PM – 9:21 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 20.87 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 July as the clearest month (about 48% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (81%). August is the warmest month and December 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 | 57 | 60 | 67 | 79 | 81 | 87 | 87 | 88 | 94 | 80 | 63 | 57 |
| Low °F | 19 | 21 | 26 | 28 | 33 | 41 | 45 | 45 | 36 | 26 | 21 | 15 |
| Precip. (in) | 10.8 | 6.9 | 8.4 | 5.5 | 3.2 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 3.0 | 7.1 | 11.5 | 10.9 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is ASTORIA (Tongue Point), Oreg., 151 m away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Tongue Point Lighthouse, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
State Park
Lighthouse
Waterfall
Lighthouse
Lake
Waterfall
Covered Bridge
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Tongue Point Lighthouse?
What time is golden hour at Tongue Point Lighthouse?
Where does the sun rise and set at Tongue Point Lighthouse?
Can you see the Milky Way from Tongue Point Lighthouse?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Tongue Point Lighthouse?
How far is Tongue Point Lighthouse from Astoria?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.