[Steely Tom]

Here is a video by a guy who is flying in a light plane over the region. He describes (in the comments) a light source in the desert that he says is " ... blindingly bright, its center resembling something like when you look at a welder's torch"

The video is only 22 seconds long, but it's pretty clear.

[dr_lew]

Of course, that’s the focal spot being lit up by the mirrors. It’s desgined to absorb the light focused on it, but it probably only absorbs about 95% ( my guess. ) Note the mirrors are dark, since none of them reflects light towards the plane.

[oldplayer]

That’s not a light plane if I were guessing. Passenger in a commercial jet. He is 20 thousand feet high if he;s a foot. No matter, the point is the same.

Oldplayer

[bubbacluck]

He describes (in the comments) a light source in the desert that he says is " ... blindingly bright, its center resembling something like when you look at a welder's torch"

At night you could probably see it from downtown LA!

Oh, wait...

[doorgunner69]

Drove by an earlier smaller version south of Ft Irwin twenty or so years ago, right off I40. Did not see the mirroe light, but the tower lit up with that torch heat was painful to look at.

Assume some damaging IR wavelengths, it truly hurt to look at.