Final answer:
The navigation lights on civil airplanes consist of a red light on the left wingtip, a green light on the right wingtip, and a white light on the tail. These lights help in determining the direction the aircraft is facing, similar to how car headlights indicate the presence and direction of a vehicle.
Step-by-step explanation:
The color and orientation of the position lights for navigation on civil airplanes are standardized to facilitate the identification of an aircraft's direction at night or in low visibility conditions. The left wingtip carries a red light, the right wingtip carries a green light, and the tail of the plane has a white light. There are also anti-collision lights that are very bright and can be seen from all angles which include the beacon and strobe lights.
These lights are similar to the headlights on your car in terms of providing visibility and indicating the presence of the vehicle; however, on airplanes, the different colors and placements serve the specific purpose of showing the aircraft's orientation. During navigation, the red light will always be on the left (port) wing, green on the right (starboard) wing, and the white light at the rear (tail), making it possible for pilots and ground personnel to determine the direction the aircraft is facing.