The modern Times Square Ball is covered with 2,688 crystal panels.
The panels are Waterford crystal triangles arranged across the ball's geodesic surface. Their facets catch and scatter the light from thousands of LEDs, producing the bright appearance seen during the New Year's Eve descent. The current ball is 12 feet in diameter and weighs nearly six tons.
The design has changed several times since the first ball appeared in 1907. Earlier versions used materials such as iron, wood, aluminum, and incandescent bulbs. The present structure was introduced for the 2008 celebration and was enlarged from the smaller ball used in earlier years.
The number of panels is a detail often confused with the number of lights. The ball has more than 32,000 LEDs, while the 2,688 figure refers specifically to the crystal triangles. The panels were produced by Waterford, the Irish crystal manufacturer associated with the ball.