Drone Show Recreates Twin Towers Ahead of 9/11 Anniversary

A drone show titled 2,977 Lights Over New York Harbor recreated the Twin Towers over New York Harbor on Wednesday night, using 2,977 individual lights to represent each person killed in the September 11, 2001, attacks. The display was staged ahead of Friday's 25th anniversary of the attacks and transformed the night sky into a temporary memorial visible against the Manhattan skyline. According to organizers, the lights first appeared as individual points across the sky before slowly gathering into the full-scale outlines of the World Trade Center's Twin Towers. The glowing towers appeared briefly before dissolving back into separate points of light, an image organizers said was meant to emphasize the individual people behind the historic number. The exact count was chosen, organizers said, to hold witness for each life lost, including victims at the World Trade Center, at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and aboard United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers resisted the hijackers. Organizers described the installation as a free public event focused on reflection and unity, developed in collaboration with members of the 9/11 community.