Chesapeake Light — a lighthouse in City of Virginia Beach, Virginia — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Virginia Beach, about 24 km (15 mi) away (Chesapeake Light lies ENE of town). Its recorded tower height is about 37 m (121 ft).
Chesapeake Light is an offshore lighthouse marking the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay. The structure was first marked with a lightship in the 1930s, and was later replaced by a "Texas Tower" in 1965. The lighthouse was eventually automated and was used for supporting atmospheric measurement sites for NASA and NOAA. Due to deteriorating structural conditions, the lighthouse was deactivated in 2016. At the time, it was the last remaining "Texas Tower" still in use due to obsolescence.From the Wikipedia article “Chesapeake Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Chesapeake Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (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 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:07 AM | 90° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:45 AM | 60° ENE | 8:26 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:13 AM | 119° ESE | 4:50 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 38m |
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 | 6:47 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 55m |
| February | 6:26 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:28 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:03 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 5:27 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 08m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 41m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 27m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 35m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:38 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:20 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:22 PM | 10h 13m |
| December | 6:40 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 39m |
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 Chesapeake Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through October. 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 | 5:01 AM – 5:21 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:07 AM – 5:37 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:00 AM – 4:50 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:07 AM – 4:07 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:17 PM – 3:47 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:11 PM – 2:21 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:32 PM – 12:22 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:40 PM – 10:20 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:54 PM – 8:24 PM | 0.5 | 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 ≈ 20.74 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 55% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (73%). 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 | 65 | 68 | 75 | 84 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 86 | 84 | 73 | 68 |
| Low °F | 23 | 17 | 27 | 38 | 46 | 60 | 68 | 67 | 60 | 47 | 36 | 25 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 5.1 | 5.7 | 5.9 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 3.8 |
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
- 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.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Virginia Beach, 24 km (15 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Chesapeake Light?
What time is golden hour at Chesapeake Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Chesapeake Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Chesapeake Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Chesapeake Light?
How far is Chesapeake Light from Virginia Beach?
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.