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==Operation==
Two lights are positioned near one another. One, called the front light, is lower than the one behind, which is called the rear light. At night when viewed from a ship, the two lights only become aligned vertically when a vessel is positioned on the correct bearing. If the vessel is on an incorrect course, the lights will not align.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bowditch |first1=Nathaniel |title=The American practical navigator : an epitome of navigation |date=2002 |publisher=Paradise Cay Publications |location=Bethesda, Md. |isbn=9780939837540 |page=64 |edition=2004}}</ref>
During the day, the lights may not easily be seen and therefore leading lights are often fitted with secondary visual aids, e.g. large red flags with wide black lines running down them. When both red flags and black lines line up, the navigator knows that the vessel is on the correct bearing. The structures are usually painted to make them more prominent.
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