Pungoteague Creek Light is a lighthouse in Accomack County, Virginia. The nearest town is Onancock, about 14.2 km (8.8 mi) away (Pungoteague Creek Light lies WSW of town).
The Pungoteague Creek Light was a small screwpile lighthouse constructed in the Chesapeake Bay in 1854. Destroyed in 1856, it had the shortest recorded existence of any lighthouse on the Bay, and possibly the United States, at just 459 days. The lighthouse was built just offshore from Accomack County, Virginia, and was located near the mouth of Pungoteague Creek, then called the Pungoteague River. It was the first screwpile lighthouse built on the Chesapeake, and its construction was overseen by Major Hartman Bache. Most of the foundation was prefabricated in Philadelphia, and was sent, along with the construction crew, down the Bay from Baltimore on April 23, 1854. It was originally estimated that construction of the light would take only six weeks, but lengthy calms during the voyage combined with the crew's inexperience and difficulty in sinking the piles extended the process...From the Wikipedia article “Pungoteague Creek Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pungoteague Creek Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (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) | 7:08 AM | 90° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:43 AM | 59° ENE | 8:29 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 46m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 120° ESE | 4:49 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 33m |
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 | 6:50 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 51m |
| February | 6:27 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:02 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 12m |
| June | 5:11 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 45m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 31m |
| August | 5:52 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:46 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:22 PM | 10h 09m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 35m |
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 Pungoteague Creek Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), 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 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:09 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:13 AM – 4:53 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:12 AM – 4:02 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:23 PM – 3:43 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:17 PM – 2:17 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:36 PM – 12:16 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 10:13 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:55 PM – 8:15 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.51 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 51% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 61 | 63 | 69 | 78 | 84 | 89 | 93 | 90 | 87 | 84 | 71 | 66 |
| Low °F | 18 | 15 | 22 | 36 | 44 | 57 | 67 | 68 | 56 | 45 | 32 | 22 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 3.7 | 4.2 |
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
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Harborton, Pungoteague Creek, 5.7 km (3.5 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Pungoteague Creek Light, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pungoteague Creek Light?
What time is golden hour at Pungoteague Creek Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Pungoteague Creek Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Pungoteague Creek Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Pungoteague Creek Light?
How far is Pungoteague Creek Light from Onancock?
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.