About the New Year's Eve Ball

Each year, millions of eyes from all over the world are focused on the sparkling Waterford Crystal Times Square New Year's Eve Ball. At 11:59 p.m., the Ball begins its descent as millions of voices unite to count down the final seconds of the year, and celebrate the beginning of a new year full of hopes, challenges, changes and dreams.

 

Fun Facts

• The Ball is a geodesic sphere, 12 feet in diameter, and weighs 11,875 pounds.
• The Ball is covered with a total of 2,688 Waterford Crystal triangles that vary in size, and range in length from 4 ¾ inches to 5 ¾ inches per side.
• For Times Square 2012, 288 of the Waterford Crystal triangles dazzle with the new Let There Be Friendship engraving of people holding hands around the world; 288 crystal triangles are emblazoned with the romantic Let There Be Love pattern that blends a modern cascade of hearts with diamond cutting; 288 crystal triangles feature the Let There Be Courage ribbon medal design: 864 crystal triangles sparkle with the Let There Be Joy design of an angel with arms uplifted welcoming the New Year. The remaining 960 triangles are the original Let There Be Light design of a stylized radiating sunburst.
• The 2,688 Waterford Crystal triangles are bolted to 672 LED modules which are attached to the aluminum frame of the Ball.
• The Ball is illuminated by 32,256 Philips Luxeon Rebel LEDs (light emitting diodes). Each LED module contains 48 Philips Luxeon Rebel LEDs - 12 red, 12 blue, 12 green, and 12 white for a total of 8,064 of each color.
• The Ball is capable of creating a palette of more than 16 million vibrant colors and billions of patterns producing a spectacular kaleidoscope effect atop One Times Square.

< The New Year's Eve Ball Fact Sheet (with images) (.pdf)

Read more about the history of the Times Square New Year's Eve Ball.

 

_{Top Image Photo Credit: Ian Wallace}