At New York City's Times Square celebration, what object drops at midnight to mark the New Year?

At New York City's Times Square celebration, the Times Square Ball drops at midnight to mark the New Year.

The tradition began on December 31, 1907, when a 700-pound illuminated ball descended from a flagpole atop One Times Square. Newspaper publisher Adolph Ochs introduced the event as a replacement for fireworks, which New York City had banned in that area. The first ball was made of iron and wood and lit with 100 light bulbs.

Modern versions have become much larger and more elaborate. The current ball is a geodesic sphere covered with Waterford crystal triangles and illuminated by LEDs. Its descent lasts 60 seconds, ending at midnight Eastern Standard Time. The ball is lowered every year except during wartime blackouts in 1942 and 1943, when the celebration used darkness and church bells instead.