Ask Ms Lucy Lites Lighthouses Explained Why do we have lighthouses? How far can a lighthouse be seen? Why are some lighthouses tall and others short? How are the lights made bright? What does a typical arrangement of lenses and prisms look like? Notes About Lighthouses Want to write a school essay about lighthouses? Click on the words "Notes About Lighthouses" above. These notes will provide the help you need to get started. Did you know that the earliest know lighthouses were constructed in the 7th century BC? Perhaps the most monumental lighthouse built in ancient times, called one of the "Seven Wonders of the World", was the Pharos at Alexandria, Egypt. Today most lighthouses use rotating beacons. These beacons usually consist of high-powered light source, a reflecting mirror on one side of the light source, and a condensing lens on the other. In the U.S. maintenance of lighthouses, lightships, lighted buoys, and other aids to navigation is the responsibility of the U.S. Coast Guard. E-mail Your Questions About Lighthouses to: Ask Ms Lucy Lites

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