Lighthouses

ocean · navigation · history

Beaming through darkness. Lighthouses use powerful lamps and special lenses to create bright beams that can be seen from far out at sea, even on foggy or stormy nights.

Tall towers by water. Most lighthouses are built on rocky coasts, cliffs, or islands where ships need the most help navigating dangerous waters.

Guides for sailors. Before modern GPS and radar, lighthouses were essential, sailors would look for the lighthouse beam to know where they were and avoid crashing into rocks.

Pattern signals. Many lighthouses have unique flash patterns, so sailors could identify which lighthouse they were seeing based on whether it flashed once, twice, or in a special rhythm.

Still shining today. Though ships now use technology like GPS, many lighthouses still operate and serve as important backup navigation tools and beautiful landmarks.