December 31st, 1999:
At midnight on December 31, 1999, one of the World’s most famous attractions debuted a new lighting feature that would draw even more attention to the Parisian landmark.
The Eiffel Tower, from that moment forward, would beam and sparkle every nightfall thanks to very entertaining and creative lighting systems.
The beacon, two beams of light with 50-mile range, is comprised of four motorized marine-style flood lights. They are synchronized, thanks to a programable software package and robotic system that controls their movements.
Performing a 90 degree rotation, they form a cross-shaped double beam that pivots 360 degrees. The light sources are 6000W xenon lamps that have an average rated life of 1,200 hours. The light heads have sufficient ventilation to avoid the risk of overheating and include a heating system that activates when the temperatures drop below 32 degrees F while the lights are off.
As for the sparkles, there are over 20,000 low-power 6W lamps that are installed on the four sides of the tower, which turn on randomly in short bursts that give off a sparkle effect. The sparkles are lit up for a five minute show at the beginning of each hour, starting at dusk and ending when the monument closes.
Featured image courtesy of Reader’s Digest.
