Two amazing beams of light lit up the Manhattan skyline last night as part of the 17 year commemoration of the September 11th terrorist attack, and to those that lost their lives. The lights reach above where the Twin Towers once stood, resembling the fallen towers. The lights will continue to illuminate the New York skyline until dawn on Wednesday morning.
The lights are made of 887,000 watt xenon light bulbs, and the two beams are 48ft squares in size and have been created in the shape of the Twin Towers, named the Tribute in Light which is sponsored by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
The beams shot up from what was once known as Ground Zero, next to the new One World Trade Center (aka Freedom Tower) on Tuesday September 11th, 2018, and will continue shining until Wednesday morning.
If you want to get real close to see the light beams, the 9/11 memorial plaza below the spectacular lights will be open till midnight on the 12th of September, although seeing them from afar is even more amazing, weather permitting.
Credit: GettyImages
Unfortunately, the weather yesterday prevented the beams from being seen in their full glory, but there’s still hopes of clear skies on Wednesday evening.
The ‘Tribute in Light’ installation made its debut in March 2002, in dedication to all who lost their lives on September 11th, 2001. The installation has become a staple, and it’s now going into its 16th year, but the lights are always as awe striking whenever seen.
Credit: GettyImages
The lights were originally placed in a vacant lot across from Ground Zero in the early years, but not long after, the lights were moved to the roof of a nearby parking garage, so that they could reach even higher, and most importantly, be protected by the correct security measures.
The ‘Tribute in Lights’ can reach four miles high into the sky, and are so powerful that they have been known to change the flight patterns of migrating birds.
Credit: CNN
On September 11th 2001, 2,996 people were killed, and more than 6,000 others were injured. Those deaths include all 265 people on the four hijacked planes, and a total of 2,606 people who died in the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks.
Let the beams fly high in memory of all the victims who lost their lives, and for all the families who’s lives were also changed forever on that day. Never forget.
#Never forget
Story by The Narrator
Featured Photo Credit: news.com.au