Wow. I had no idea bicycle lighting was such a volatile subject.
Most of the posts have usable information. But my original comments are central to anyone starting out in night riding.
1 - plenty of good lights - but none of them do you any good in they are
not being used regularly
2 - remember - no matter how good your "bright lights" are - they will not save you from drivers with poor attention
3 - my experience suggests every cyclist should have at least one light that they can "point" directly into the eyes of a threatening motorists - either side lights or a helmet light.....
Here - added - just for kicks