For the first time since it began operating on December 31, 1999, the lighthouse atop the Eiffel Tower is out for maintenance.
"The lighthouse requires a renewal of the rotation and its management automation," said Sete, the company that manages the attraction, which was turned off on August 28. The light is expected to be turned back on October 10.
Formed by four projectors that make up a double beam of light, visible up to 80 kilometers away, the lighthouse is a tribute to the turn of the millennium.
The reflectors work in a coordinated manner, controlled by an automated system, and make a full circle around the tower.
The tower, however, will not remain in the dark while the maintenance takes place.
Two other light systems ensure that it can be seen: one composed of 336 spotlights powered by sodium lamps and another composed of 20,000 lamps that blink during the first five minutes of every hour.
