I keep reading that lighthouses help sailors 1) be aware of dangers like rocks and reefs, and 2) navigate in the dark. I understand that lighthouses beam a series of flashes that a sailor can see from far away, but I’m not quite sure how seeing a series of flashes in the dark from a single point-source can accomplish point 1 and point 2.
In: 8
It’s an immediate warning to sailors that there is land nearby, so they should start minding their depth and location. Ideally, the sailors have maps/charts for the areas they are sailing in, so they can identify which lighthouse it is based on surrounding terrain (or rough estimate) and use that, along with their maps/charts, to find where the hazards are nearby.
So the lighthouse isn’t to tell the sailors anything except their location, with the sailors responsible to figure out the rest.
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