Tribute in Light returns to honor the victims of 9/11

NEW YORK – The 23rd anniversary of the September 11 attacks is less than a week away and New York City is preparing its annual Tribute in Light.

The 9/11 Memorial and Museum offered media a first look at this year's installation, which has become a powerful symbol of the city's resilience while commemorating the lives lost.

The Tribute in Light consists of two beams of light extending four miles into the sky from Lower Manhattan, representing the twin towers of the World Trade Center. These beams are visible within a 60-mile radius of Lower Manhattan.

The installation will illuminate the night sky from dusk to dawn on September 11th.

On September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked four airplanes. Two of them crashed into the Twin Towers in New York City, one into the Pentagon, and the fourth into a field in Pennsylvania after passengers tried to regain control. The attacks killed 2,977 people.

According to Gothamist.com, the New York City Fire Department reached a new, grim milestone this year in relation to 9/11: 363 of its members lost their lives from 9/11-related illnesses, more than the number of members who died in the attacks themselves (343).