Located in Northampton County, Virginia, Cherrystone Bar Light is a lighthouse. It sits roughly 2.1 km (1.3 mi) SW of Cape Charles.
The Cherrystone Bar Light was a lighthouse located at the entrance to Cape Charles, Virginia harbor in the Chesapeake Bay. It was the only light in the bay moved to another location, becoming the Choptank River Light in 1921.From the Wikipedia article “Cherrystone Bar Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cherrystone Bar Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:45 AM | 59° ENE | 8:29 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 44m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 119° ESE | 4:51 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 36m |
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 | 6:49 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 53m |
| February | 6:27 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:38 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:03 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:27 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 43m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 29m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:23 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 37m |
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 Cherrystone Bar Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:02 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:08 AM – 5:38 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:11 AM – 4:51 AM | 2.7 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:10 AM – 4:10 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:20 PM – 3:50 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:14 PM – 2:24 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:34 PM – 12:24 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 10:22 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:55 PM – 8:15 PM | 0.3 | 14° | SW → SW |
| 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 ≈ 21.02 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 50% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (60%). 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 | 66 | 68 | 75 | 85 | 92 | 95 | 99 | 97 | 92 | 92 | 75 | 71 |
| Low °F | 13 | 10 | 17 | 33 | 42 | 54 | 65 | 64 | 54 | 41 | 28 | 18 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 5.4 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 3.7 |
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 Cape Charles Harbor, 1.3 km (0.8 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Cherrystone Bar Light, closest first.
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National Wildlife Refuge
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LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cherrystone Bar Light?
What time is golden hour at Cherrystone Bar Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cherrystone Bar Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cherrystone Bar Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cherrystone Bar Light?
How far is Cherrystone Bar Light from Cape Charles?
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.