The modern Times Square Ball has an approximate diameter of 12 feet.
The ball displayed in Times Square has grown dramatically from the original 1907 version, which was about five feet wide. The current structure is a geodesic sphere covered with Waterford crystal panels and illuminated by thousands of LEDs. Its large size allows the design to remain visible to the enormous crowd gathered below and to television audiences worldwide.
The ball is lowered during the final minute of December 31, reaching the base of the flagpole at midnight. Different versions have been used over the decades, and the ball's exact weight and lighting technology have changed as the installation has been redesigned.
The diameter is often confused with the ball's weight. The modern ball weighs several tons, while 12 feet describes its width across. It is also separate from the height of the One Times Square building on which the ceremonial pole is mounted.