Why do the lights in a lighthouse rotate? Here's how they help ships

Lighthouses have guided mariners safely home for centuries, with the first lighthouse reportedly constructed in ancient Egypt (although it was later destroyed). 

Umpqua River, OR - David Zapatka 

Although GPS is now in everything from smart watches to phones, ships still use lighthouses today.

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Man attempts to photograph every US lighthouse

On the last August evening, David Zapatka climbed aboard the Portland harbor master's boat, helmed by Paul Plummer.

Amelia Island, FL - David Zapatka 

Zapatka came to see about a lighthouse. They are iconic markers of Maine's rugged shores, but their intended purpose has dwindled over the years.

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Click here to see more of David Zapatka's pictures on the USLHS Research Catalog

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Lightning strikes knock out communications at Frying Pan Shoals Light Station, NC

Multiple lightning strikes during a severe storm disabled communications equipment at the Frying Pan Shoals Light Station, creating hazardous conditions miles off the North Carolina coast.

Frying Pan Shoals, NC - Kraig Anderson 

The retired lighthouse tower, located roughly 30 miles offshore, sustained several direct hits as the storm moved across the Atlantic.

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Click here to see more of Frying Pan Shoals on the USLHS Research Catalog

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Algoma Pierhead Light painted bright red at Roen Salvage in Sturgeon Bay, WI

An iconic lighthouse is getting some much-needed attention in Door County.

Algoma Pierhead, WI - Mike & Carol McKinney 

Crews started painting the Algoma Pierhead Light Wednesday morning.

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Click here to see more of Algoma on the USLHS Research Catalog

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Cape May Lighthouse, NJ: History, Hours, & What to expect at the top

Two shipwrecks and 36 years of failure came before anyone got this lighthouse right.

Cape May, NJ - Ralph Eshelman 

The Cape May Lighthouse you'll climb today is the third attempt, and it's stood strong since 1859.

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Click here to see more of Cape May on the USLHS Research Catalog

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The Absecon Lighthouse, NJ, is one of America's tallest & you can climb to the top

Standing in Atlantic City and looking up at the Absecon Lighthouse for the first time, you get the distinct impression that this structure has been waiting a very long time for someone to finally give it the recognition it deserves.

Absecon, NJ - Ralph Eshelman 

It's one of America's tallest lighthouses, it's right here in New Jersey, and you can climb all the way to the top, which is the kind of sentence that should be followed immediately by a road trip.

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Click here to see more of Absecon on the USLHS Research Catalog

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Grand Haven's, MI, red lighthouse opens to the public for the first time in 151-year history

One of West Michigan's most photographed landmarks is finally open from the inside - and the public couldn't wait.

Grand Haven South Pierhead, MI - Ralph Eshelman 

The Grand Haven South Pierhead Lighthouse welcomed more than 1,000 visitors on its very first day of public tours Tuesday, according to David Karpin, chair of the Grand haven Lighthouse Conservancy.

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Click here to see more of Grand Haven South Pierhead on the USLHS Research Catalog

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The worlds oldest lighthouse, The Tower of Hercules, is located in Spain

In the Spanish city of A Coruna in Galicia stands the Torre de Hercules, the oldest lighthouse in the world.

Tower of Hercules, Spain - Ralph Eshelman 

Likely built by the Romans as early as the second century AD, it still serves its purpose today.

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PG&BL takes ownership of historic Plymouth Lighthouse, MA

Volunteers, supporters and lighthouse lovers gathered under a tent at Gurnet Point on Saturday, Sept. 19, for the deed transfer ceremony of the Plymouth (Gurnet) Light Station.

Plymouth (Gurnet), MA - Jeremy D'Entremont 

The event marked the official handoff of the historic lighthouse to Project Gurnet & Bug Lights Inc., the Duxbury nonprofit that has cared for it for more than two decades.

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Click here to see more of Plymouth on the USLHS Research Catalog

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I was a lighthouse keeper this summer

The Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse is a lighthouse that sits comfortably at the end of a seven-eighths-of-a-mile granite path.

Rockland Breakwater, ME - Ralph Eshelman 

Built in 1902, the lighthouse is pretty much the centerpiece of Rockland Harbor at Maine's southern coast.

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Click here to see more of Rockland Breakwater on the USLHS Research Catalog

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U.S. Lighthouse Society News is produced by the U.S. Lighthouse Society to support lighthouse preservation, history, education and research.

If you have items of interest to the lighthouse community and its supporters, please email them to Ralph Krugler at ralph@uslhs.org 

Submitted by Ralph Krugler on