New York marked 25 years since the tragic September 11, 2001, attacks, an event that killed 2,977 people when hijackers crashed planes into the World Trade Center (WTC). Memorial services are being held across the United States to commemorate the occasion.
One recurring phenomenon near the site has drawn particular attention: a natural alignment known as the 'Wedge of Light.' Every year on September 11, sunlight floods a specific area within the Oculus, a shopping center and transport hub adjacent to the WTC site. This symbolic light is designed to connect memory, time, and space.
The concept was envisioned as part of architect Daniel Libeskind's 'Memory Foundations' plan for rebuilding the WTC, which was selected in 2003. The Oculus's orientation is aligned with the sun's solar angles on September 11 each year. Light enters through the central skylight and moves across the Oculus floor between 8:46 a.m., the time the first plane struck the North Tower, and 10:28 a.m., when the North Tower collapsed.
As the light moves, it illuminates two parallel columns of light that are said to reference the original Twin Towers and the moments that altered the Lower Manhattan skyline. A video shared by the WTC on Instagram last year explained the alignment, stating that the skylight "washes a beam of light on the Oculus floor."
Visitors have described the experience as powerful and emotional. Comments on social media have expressed awe, with one person calling it a "beautiful tribute" and another noting the impact of using natural light to honor remembrance. One visitor shared that the 9/11 memorial experience left them "shaking and very emotional."