At New York City's Times Square celebration, what object is lowered at midnight?

At New York City’s Times Square celebration, the object lowered at midnight is the Times Square Ball.

The first ball drop took place on December 31, 1907, to welcome 1908. The event was organized by Adolph Ochs, publisher of The New York Times, whose newspaper headquarters gave Times Square its name. The original ball was made of iron and wood and illuminated with electric lights.

Today’s ball is a much larger geodesic sphere covered with Waterford crystal panels and LED lighting. It descends a 130-foot pole during the final minute of the year. The ball does not drop all the way to street level; it reaches the base of the pole at midnight.

A common mix-up is calling the object a globe or crystal ball. Its official name is the Times Square Ball, and the tradition is specifically associated with Times Square in Manhattan.