What is the primary role of lighthouses in navigation?

The primary role of lighthouses in navigation is to mark entry points and coastlines. They serve as vital visual aids, enabling mariners to identify critical locations such as harbor entrances, dangerous coastlines, and navigational hazards. By emitting light or sound signals, lighthouses guide vessels safely through treacherous waters, helping to prevent collisions and groundings.

The illumination from a lighthouse allows ships to determine their position relative to land, especially during nighttime or poor visibility conditions. In essence, they serve as fixed reference points that contribute significantly to safe maritime navigation.

While communication facilities, mooring points, and weather stations are important in their own right, they are not the primary function of lighthouses. Communication systems may complement navigational aids, but they do not form the core purpose of a lighthouse. Similarly, while some lighthouses may have limited functionality related to mooring or weather monitoring, these activities are secondary to their main role in navigation.