Tribute in Light facts for kids
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The Tribute in Light is a special art installation that helps people remember the September 11 attacks. It uses 88 bright, vertical searchlights. These lights are set up in two big columns, making them look like the Twin Towers once did.
You can find this tribute in New York City, about six blocks south of where the World Trade Center used to be. It sits on top of the Battery Parking Garage. The Tribute in Light first started as a temporary way to remember the attacks in early 2002. But it became an event that happens every year on September 11. The Municipal Art Society of New York now puts on this amazing display.
Many talented people helped create the Tribute in Light. These artists include John Bennett, Gustavo Bonevardi, Richard Nash Gould, Julian LaVerdiere, and Paul Myoda. Lighting expert Paul Marantz also helped design it.
On clear nights, these powerful lights can be seen from far away, up to 60 miles (97 km)! This means they are visible across all of New York City. You can also see them from most of Northern New Jersey and Long Island. People in Fairfield County, Connecticut, and several counties in New York (like Westchester and Orange) can also spot the beams.
The tribute uses 88 xenon spotlights, with 44 lights for each "tower." Each of these lights uses a lot of power, about 7,000 watts. Back in As of 2011[update], putting on this event each year cost around $500,000.
A similar Tribute in Light has also appeared sometimes at the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia. Another one has been seen at the crash site of United 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. These places were also attacked during the events of 9/11.
How the Tribute Began
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After the September 11 attacks, many people had the idea of using lights to remember what happened. These different ideas were brought together by two groups: the Municipal Art Society and Creative Time.
The Tribute in Light first shone for a short time, from March 11 to April 14, 2002. It then appeared again on September 11, 2003, to mark the second year since the attacks. Since then, it has been shown every year on September 11. In 2008, it was thought that it would be the last year, but the tribute continued.
In 2009, it was confirmed that the tribute would keep going until at least the tenth anniversary of the attacks in 2011. Later, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum began to take over running the tribute. They worked with the Municipal Art Society to make sure it continued.
An Italian company called Space Cannon makes the lights. They send a team every year to help set them up. A company from Las Vegas, Light America, also helped with the project.
Each year, about 30 experts, including technicians and electricians, work for about ten days to install the lights. They spend several days testing them. People in places like Brooklyn, Staten Island, and New Jersey help make sure the light beams are aimed perfectly.
The project was first going to be called Towers of Light. However, the families of the victims felt that this name focused too much on the destroyed buildings. They wanted the name to honor the people who were lost. So, it was changed to Tribute in Light.
There was a plan to have a permanent Tribute in Light on top of One World Trade Center. But this idea was not included in the final design of the building.
Since 2008, the generators that power the Tribute in Light have used special fuel. This fuel is biodiesel, made from used cooking oil collected from local restaurants. This helps make the tribute more environmentally friendly.
How the Lights Affect Birds
The bright lights from the Tribute in Light can sometimes confuse over a million migrating birds. The birds can get caught in the beams. Even birds flying several miles high can be affected by the lights.
Because of this, the lights are turned off for 20 minutes at a time. This allows the birds to escape the beams and continue their journey. To make sure the lights do not harm migrating birds, the Municipal Art Society works closely with the New York City Audubon group. A study in 2017 found that the lights changed how birds flew at night. But these effects disappeared when the lights were turned off.
See also
- Memorials and services for the September 11 attacks
