York Spit Light is a lighthouse in York County, Virginia. It sits roughly 12.6 km (7.8 mi) NE of Poquoson.
The York Spit Light was a lighthouse located at the mouth of the York River in the Chesapeake Bay, marking a long shoal paralleling the main channel into the river.From the Wikipedia article “York Spit Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At York Spit 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) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:46 AM | 59° ENE | 8:29 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 43m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 119° ESE | 4:52 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 | 6:50 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 53m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:04 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:28 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:14 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 42m |
| July | 5:27 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 29m |
| August | 5:55 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:56 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:24 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:19 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 York Spit 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 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:03 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:09 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:12 AM – 4:52 AM | 2.7 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:11 AM – 4:11 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:21 PM – 3:51 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:15 PM – 2:25 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:35 PM – 12:25 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 10:23 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:56 PM – 8:16 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.45 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
- 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.
- 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 Tue Marshes Light, 11.9 km (7.4 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of York Spit Light, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Beach
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Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph York Spit Light?
What time is golden hour at York Spit Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at York Spit Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from York Spit Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at York Spit Light?
How far is York Spit Light from Poquoson?
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.