Tribute in Lights: Remembering September 11, 2001

In Memory of 9/11, the Tribute in Lights was created.

In remembrance of the events of September 11, 2001, two beams of light were lit on March 11th, 2002 the six-month anniversary of the attacks. The two towers of light are composed of two banks of high wattage spotlights -- 44 for each beam and point straight up from a lot next to Ground Zero. The twin beams of light recreate a ghostly image of the Twin Towers.

The memorial was turned on at 6:55 p.m. by Valerie Webb, a 12-year-old girl who lost her father, a Port Authority police officer, in the attacks. Mayor Bloomberg and Gov. Pataki were with Valerie when she flipped the switch.

Nightly from dusk until 11 p.m. the memorial will be illuminated through April 13th. It is visible for many miles, and it's been reportedly seen from as far away as Rockland County (which is about an hour north of New York City).

You can read more about the Tribute in Light on Wikipedia.

Check out these images of the Tribute in Light on Flickr.

Want to see it for yourself? The Tribute in Light is best viewed from the waterfront outside of Manhattan, including Jersey City, the Brooklyn Bridge Promenade and Gantry Plaza State Park, though the Tribute in Light can be seen from many places in and around New York City.