The Gibraltar Aerobeacon built in 1841 is one of several
lighthouses in Gibraltar, the
British Overseas Territory at the southern end of the
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula (),
**
* Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica''
**
**
* french: Péninsule Ibérique
* mwl, Península Eibérica
* eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, def ...
. It is also known as the Gibraltar Aviation Light and Gibraltar Aero Light. The active beacon is positioned atop the
Rock of Gibraltar and is operated by the
Government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is ...
of
Gibraltar
)
, anthem = " God Save the King"
, song = " Gibraltar Anthem"
, image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg
, map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe
, map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green
, mapsize =
, image_map2 = Gib ...
.
History
While ''The Lighthouse Directory'' suggests that the Gibraltar Aerobeacon does not strictly meet its criteria for a
lighthouse, the publishers of the directory indicate that the light merits an exception.
[ In '' Publication 113'', it is referred to as the Gibraltar Aviation Light;][ in ''The Online List of Lights'', it is referred to as the Gibraltar Aero Light.][ The light by all three names has the same Admiralty number ''(see infobox)''.][
The Gibraltar Aerobeacon ''(pictured in link below)'' is positioned on top of the Rock of Gibraltar.]furlongs
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. It is now mostly confined to use in ho ...
() to the south of the north end of the Rock is the signal station at . The 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica indicated that, at the station, "the names and messages of passing ships are cabled to all parts of the world." The map of Gibraltar reveals Signal Hill close to the end of the cable car line, at .
The Gibraltar Aerobeacon is a square, skeletal tower which features a large gallery platform on which there is a round radar apparatus.[ The ]light characteristic
A light characteristic is all of the properties that make a particular navigational light identifiable. Graphical and textual descriptions of navigational light sequences and colours are displayed on nautical charts and in Light Lists with the cha ...
is remarkable for a red light which flashes the Morse Code for Gibraltar.[ It consists of two long flashes and a short flash, after which there is a long flash and three short flashes.][ The code for Gibraltar is emitted every ten seconds. The range is 30 ]nautical miles
A nautical mile is a unit of length used in air, marine, and space navigation, and for the definition of territorial waters. Historically, it was defined as the meridian arc length corresponding to one minute ( of a degree) of latitude. Today t ...
(55 kilometres or 34.5 miles). The active beacon has a focal plane (or focal height) of 405 metres (1329 feet).[
The site and the light tower are closed to the public. The Gibraltar Aerobeacon is operated by the Government of Gibraltar.][ The ]United Kingdom Hydrographic Office
The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) is the UK's agency for providing hydrographic and marine geospatial data to mariners and maritime organisations across the world. The UKHO is a trading fund of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and is ...
''Admiralty List of Lights and Fog Signals'' number is D 2456.[ The United States ]National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is a combat support agency within the United States Department of Defense whose primary mission is collecting, analyzing, and distributing geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) in support of natio ...
(NGA), formerly the National Imagery and Mapping Agency
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is a combat support agency within the United States Department of Defense whose primary mission is collecting, analyzing, and distributing geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) in support of nation ...
(NIMA), number is 4256.
See also
* List of lighthouses in Gibraltar
References
External links
Photograph of Gibraltar Aerobeacon by Alexander Trabas
''The Online List of Lights''
{{Authority control
Lighthouses completed in 1841
Lighthouses in Gibraltar
Beacons