Port Aransas Light Station — a lighthouse in Nueces County, Texas — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 3.4 km (2.1 mi) N of Port Aransas. Its recorded tower height is about 21 m (69 ft). It dates from 1855. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Aransas Pass Light Station also called Lydia Ann Lighthouse is an historic light station in Aransas County, Harbor Island, just outside the city limits of Port Aransas, Texas, behind San Jose and Mustang Islands, that protects a natural gulf pass to Aransas and Corpus Christi Bays.From the Wikipedia article “Aransas Pass Light Station”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Port Aransas Light Station the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 63° (ENE) at the June solstice and 116° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 297° (WNW) in June to 244° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 86° in summer but only 39° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:33 AM | 90° E | 7:40 PM | 271° W | 62° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:34 AM | 63° ENE | 8:28 PM | 297° WNW | 86° | 13h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:17 AM | 89° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 62° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 116° ESE | 5:38 PM | 244° WSW | 39° | 10h 22m |
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 | 6:56 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:21 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:21 PM | 10h 34m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 13m |
| March | 7:15 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:10 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:01 PM | 11h 59m |
| April | 6:40 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:18 PM | 12h 50m |
| May | 6:14 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 31m |
| June | 6:06 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 54m |
| July | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 44m |
| August | 6:35 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:31 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 09m |
| September | 6:51 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:45 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:34 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 20m |
| October | 7:05 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 31m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 47m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 23m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Port Aransas Light Station, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 33° 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 | 4:39 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.0 | 20° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:45 AM – 6:15 AM | 2.5 | 30° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:44 AM – 5:34 AM | 3.8 | 33° | SE → S |
| May | 11:48 PM – 5:08 AM | 5.3 | 33° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:59 PM – 4:59 AM | 7.0 | 33° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:57 PM – 3:27 AM | 5.5 | 33° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:31 PM – 1:31 AM | 4.0 | 33° | S → SW |
| September | 8:53 PM – 11:23 PM | 2.5 | 30° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:18 PM – 9:28 PM | 1.2 | 21° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 20.54 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 34% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (64%). August 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 | 88 | 92 | 95 | 100 | 103 | 102 | 101 | 103 | 103 | 96 | 89 | 87 |
| Low °F | 28 | 27 | 36 | 43 | 53 | 71 | 74 | 72 | 58 | 45 | 36 | 32 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 5.6 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 1.4 |
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.
- 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 Port Aransas, 3.2 km (2.0 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Port Aransas Light Station, closest first.
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State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Port Aransas Light Station?
What time is golden hour at Port Aransas Light Station?
Where does the sun rise and set at Port Aransas Light Station?
Can you see the Milky Way from Port Aransas Light Station?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Port Aransas Light Station?
How far is Port Aransas Light Station from Port Aransas?
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.