Monday 12 November 2018
The light of the Macquarie lighthouse can shine 48 kilometres out to sea-more than the distance of a marathon.
The power of light is measured in candelas. One candela represents the same amount of light as one burning candle. Macquarie Lighthouse has a light power of 229,000 candelas. The light comes from a set of highpowered, modern lights called LEDs or light-emitting diodes.
Macquarie light was established in 1818 and stands 105 metres up from sea level inside the Macquarie lighthouse tower. It spins one revolution every 20 seconds-3 revolutions per minute and flashes every 10 seconds for 0.29 of a second to alert ships coming towards Sydney.