Ilha Rasa Lighthouse

The Ilha Rasa Lighthouse is located on the island of Ilha Rasa, approximately 11 kilometers from Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The lighthouse was built in 1829, with its construction beginning in 1819 under the supervision of engineer João de Souza Pacheco Leitão. It has a unique cylindrical tower with a balcony and lantern atop a massive square tower, standing 26 meters high with walls that are 1.3 meters thick.

The lighthouse has a rich history, with a fire being lit every night on the summit of Ilha Rasa to signal the entrance to the Port of Rio de Janeiro before its construction. The tower was initially equipped with a first-order rotary catoptrics system and three parabolic reflectors lit by 21 lamps burning rapeseed oil. Over the years, the lighthouse has undergone several upgrades, including the installation of a new first-order Doppler lens in 1883 and the introduction of electric power supplied by diesel engines in 1951.

Today, the Ilha Rasa Lighthouse is an active lighthouse managed by the Brazilian Navy, emitting two white alternate flashes and one red every 15 seconds, visible up to 51 nautical miles for the white light and 45 nautical miles for the red light. The lighthouse is identified by the country code number BR-2420 and is an important aid to navigation for ships entering the Port of Rio de Janeiro.

Light and tower

It has a cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern atop a massive square tower. The tower is built of stone. Its daymark is white tower with brown trim. The light has a focal height of 101 metres. The light has a range of 51 nautical miles. Its light characteristic is Al Fl (2) W (1) R 15s. It is managed by Brazilian Navy. The NGA list of lights numbers it 18372. The Admiralty list of lights numbers it G0360.

Videos

Um Passeio pelas Ilhas da Zona Sul | EP 2 - Ilha Rasa