Abstract: A searchlight (40) includes a high-power xenon-arc lamp (12) having a longitudinal axis (16), and an anode (18) and cathode (20) which are spaced from each other along the axis (16). The lamp (12) becomes inoperative when the anode (18) is disposed below the cathode (20) by more than a small distance. A first reflector (28) is integrally movable with the lamp (12) and has a parabolic reflecting surface (28a) for collecting light from the lamp (12) and reflecting the collected light generally parallel to the axis (16) as a beam (34). A second reflector (44) is also integrally movable with the lamp (12) for receiving the beam (34) from the first reflector (28) and reflecting the beam (48) away from the axis (16) at a right angle. With the anode (18) of the lamp (12) maintained at the same height as or above the cathode (20) and the searchlight (40) rotated such that the axis (16) sweeps a 180.degree. arc from horizontal through vertical to horizontal, the beam (48) from the second reflector (44) sweeps a 180.