Residents near Oahu’s southern shores between Barbers Point and Diamond Head might see beams of green light streaming across the night sky and coastal terrain between midnight and 5 a.m. from tonight until Monday.

The lights are part of a coastal mapping survey by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers along the shorelines of the Hawaiian Islands now through June as part of the USACE National Coastal Mapping Program.

According to a media release from USACE, “the topographic data collected supports many USACE, state, academia, and private sector agency projects such as harbor dredging, sea level rise preparedness, and the evaluation of eroding shorelines.” The surveys will be carried out by a contracted aircraft equipped with a Coastal Zone Mapping and Imaging Lidar.

Lidar, which is short for “light detection and ranging,” uses light in the form of lasers to measure distance. USACE is said that “brief exposure to the light is safe for the unprotected eye.”

“The majority of data collection will take place during the day,” said Chris Macon, scientist with USACE. “The airspace along Oahu’s south shore is very busy, so we’re surveying this area at night to avoid interfering with air traffic from the Honolulu Airport.”

USACE said the flights will take place from offshore to approximately 500 meters mauka from the shore at an altitude of approximately 1,300 feet.

The surveys are conducted every 10 years in the islands, along mainland coasts every five years and after hurricanes.