Two columns of light that rise every Sept. 11 from a site near ground zero represent who is missing. This year, those beams will be gone, too.
Since 2002, the Tribute in Light has marked the attacks on the twin towers: It features 88 specially made lights used to create the projections, which tower over New York City until dawn on Sept. 12. But on Thursday, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, which is responsible for the tribute, announced that it was canceling the display this year because of the coronavirus crisis.
Although people typically don’t crowd together to view the lights — which on a clear night can be seen from 60 miles away — a team of about 40 stagehands and electricians work closely on the installation for more than a week, Colin Moynihan reported in The Times.
The decision to cancel was made “after concluding the health risks during the pandemic were far too great for the large crew,” Michael Frazier, a memorial and museum spokesman, said in a statement.