Last pictures of lights at ground Zero. They get turned off at 11.

Cacique ^ | 4-13-2002 | Cacique

[Cacique]

Tonight is the last night that the lights emanate from ground zero in Manhattan. At 11 PM tonight they will be shut off. I decided to take some pictures of the lights on their last night so I went to the Manhattan Ferry Pier near the Brooklyn Army Terminal not too far from my house in Sunset Park. The pictures were taken between 7:51 PM and 8:22 PM this evening before the guard threw us off the pier. It turns out the pier closes at sundown. In any case, I figured I'd share my pictures with the rest of the Freepers.

The towers were gone after 9-11, now the lights are gone as well.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Why don't they just leave the lights on as a permanent memorial? My local news said that a lot of people wanted the light display to stay.

This may not be popular, but large cities with the over use of lighting have washed out the night skies for miles beyond their city limits. Stars and astronomical seeing has be severly limited in the last few decades. Many of us when we were were kids, even living near cities could actually see the night sky. However, much of it has been washed out by glaring light.

I am all for a memorial, but I would prefer something different than lighting up the night sky even more than it is. Many cities have already adopted ordinances where new lighting fixtures must direct the light downward where it is needed, not scattered into the atmosphere and wasted. It even takes less energy to light up an area if the light is directed downward.

Again, I am all for a tribute, or memorial but not with more light glaring upward into the nightsky.

[The Chief]

That is correct they are going to fade with the coming dawn instead of being turned off...

[Crowcreek]

"some of you out there have not seen the skyline of NY with the lights on"

Thanks -- I didn't even know about these lights. Awesome, beautiful and moving . .

I actually drove thru' NYC one day on a 'family vacation' (kids in the back, dog under my feet) -- Staten Island to Manhattan then around and out of town (Sunday Morning!). I stopped to ask a street cop how to get out of Harlem and onto the bridge to NJ and his eyes popped when he saw my Washington plates !!

[Ruth A.]

Thank you for sharing.

[Cacique]

BTT

[Beach_Babe]

Very nice!

Here's one from the other side...

[Jolly Green]

Great pics! Just one question. Why do the nitwits think the lights need to be turned off. It would seem that this is something like "the eternal flame" that should last forever.

[Libertina]

Thank you Cacique. How thoughtful of you to take these and post them for us. It's as close as I will get to them since I cannot travel to NY right now. I visited NY for the first time 2 summers ago, and then again last summer. I'm glad I got to be there before the attack - I feel much closer to the people there because of my visits. I just wish I could have been there to volunteer in the aftermath.

[TLBSHOW]

Bump and thanks for the great photos.

[pepsionice]

Perhaps a crazy suggestion...but rather than argue over building statues of various people....why not just leave the lights as a permanent fixture? It can be seen for miles and represents an awful lot. And its more agreeable than any statue that they can dream up.

[freepersup]

breathtaking...by the way, lady liberty looks as if she is holding up a cross...poetic justice...

[SkyPilot]

#46 looks like a painting, not a photograph.

[daviddennis]

Let's be fair here: If you want to see the night sky without any light distracting you, you should probably avoid New York City under any conditions.

There are plenty of other places where you can see it.

D

[Joe Hadenuf]

If you want to see the night sky without any light distracting you, you should probably avoid New York City under any conditions.

It's understandable, it's an emotional thing.

However, there are getting to be fewer and fewer areas in the United States where one can towards the heavens and look at a beautiful night sky, filled with thousands of stars. Many young kids have never seen what we did when we were kids due to the urban growth and millions of city lights.

People should realize that the light canopy or light dome emitted by major cities produce light glare far beyond their city limits. The New York light canopy for instance, can extend for well over 150 miles into neighboring states, just as Las Vegas, Chicago, LA and other major cities.

Again, I am all for a tribute or memorial for all the victims, I am just against more artificial mercury vapor light from cities being scattered into our atmosphere, which results in complete washed out, starless skies.

[Freedom_Is_Not_Free]

I agree 100%. I am very disappointed that the lights are not part of a permanent memorial to the victims of the New York Massacre.

[Cacique]

BTT

[Jennifer in Florida]

Absolutely beautiful. Thanks for posting these. It's a shame they have turned them off already. :(

[Freedom'sWorthIt]

Thanks very much - had not seen anything like these good pictures. Well done!

[Cagey]

Thanks so much. They're incredible photographs.

[LowOiL]

Incredible pictures, thank you for taking time to share your wonderful photos with us that have not seen it.

A freeper special Big Bump

Low OiL