PHOTOS: 9/11 Tribute in Light through the years

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Monday, September 5, 2022
The Tribute in Light, as seen from across the Hudson River, on the 16th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, Monday, Sept. 11, 2017, in Jersey City
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PHOTOS: 9/11 Tribute in Light through the years The Tribute in Light, as seen from across the Hudson River, on the 16th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, Monday, Sept. 11, 2017, in Jersey City
AP Photo/Jason DeCrow

NEW YORK (WABC) -- The annual beams of light that mark the rough footprints of where the twin towers once stood will once again illuminate the New York City skyline.

The Tribute in Light is a visual memorial to those who died on September 11, 2001, and is turned on for every anniversary.

The lights go on at sunset on September 11 and go off at dawn on September 12.

RELATED | 'Eyewitness to 9/11: Behind the Lens' reveals untold stories, rare video of America's darkest day

WABC-TV looks back on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 to hear from the Eyewitness News journalists who covered the attack as it unfolded.

The beams, coming from 88 searchlights south of the World Trade Center site, were first put in place six months after the attack and are now a yearly tradition.

At full power, the lights can be seen for many miles, depending on the weather.

Check out pictures of the tribute through the years.

RELATED | How reporter N.J. Burkett and his photographer escaped Twin Towers collapse

Eyewitness News reporter N.J. Burkett and photographer Marty Glembotzky rushed down to the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. While shooting a standup right below the burning towers, the first tower began to collapse.

Each year, New York City and millions around the country commemorate 9/11 with mournful ceremonies, volunteering, appeals to "never forget," and drawing attention to the terror attacks' continued toll on first responders.

Relatives of the victims descend on ground zero in Lower Manhattan, and the events of that terrible day and the weeks, months and years that followed are never forgotten, nor are the memories of those killed by terrorists in hijacked planes.

Additionally, we remember all those who have died from 9/11-related illnesses from their heroic work at ground zero and those who suffer today.

RELATED | In memory of Don DiFranco, WABC engineer killed on 9/11

WABC-TV engineer Don DiFranco was working at the Channel 7 transmitter site on the 110th floor of the World Trade Center North Tower when terrorists flew a hijacked American Airlines jet into the building on September 11, 2001.

September 11 still shapes American policy, politics and everyday experiences in places from airports to office buildings, even if it's less of a constant presence in the public consciousness after more than two decades.

The 9/11 commemorations are by now familiar rituals, but each year at ground zero, victims' relatives infuse the ceremony with personal messages of remembrance, inspiration and concern.

CLICK HERE for more Eyewitness News reflections, photos and stories marking the anniversary of 9/11

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