A CIRCLE OF LIGHT

It’s the ultimate green light -- actually, a multicolored light and not just still and steady at the end of the West Coast Gatsby pier -- the light at the edge of the country, circling and shifting with a variety of signals, some ambiguous, some seasonal.

For many Angelenos the Santa Monica Pier with its Ferris wheel placed near its tip is the region’s real beacon of light. Now, the new $1.5-million solar-powered Pacific Ferris Wheel at Pacific Park is in sync with the season with a computer-generated holiday light show.

The original wheel was auctioned off on EBay in April for $136,000 to a bidder who plans to refurbish and rebuild it in Oklahoma City. The new Ferris wheel, which opened in May, soars 130 feet above the Pacific.

Some 160,000 energy-efficient LED lights flash patterns every 15 seconds in holiday-themed shapes such as a candy cane, snowflake, star or Christmas tree. The images are generated by Virtual Wheel, a software program designed specifically for this Ferris wheel by EWorkspro in Orlando, Fla.

“It’s very similar to drawing an animated movie,” says Dana Wyatt, the designer and director of operations for Pacific Park who programs the wheel lights. Each half-second frame is laid out one frame at a time culminating in a 2 1/2 -minute sequence. “Because our canvas is circular and rotating it was very challenging to make smooth transitions,” explains Wyatt, who is looking forward to other holidays next year (the show ordinarily changes monthly). “No other Ferris wheel in the world has this LED lighting system right now,” he says. “I know we are only scratching the surface here with this program.”

A fun house, a landmark and in its own way a work of art. “You see it cruising the coast along PCH, on the background in newscasts and on our webcam,” notes Jeff Klocke, director of marketing for Pacific Park, which leases space from the city. “It creates a sense of ownership with people and reflects the true spirit of Southern California.”

The holiday lights can be viewed beginning at dusk daily through Jan. 5.

--Liesl Bradner