How many seconds does the Times Square Ball take to descend at midnight?

The Times Square Ball takes 60 seconds to descend at midnight.

The ball begins its descent at 11:59 p.m. on New Year's Eve and reaches the bottom of the pole exactly as the clock strikes midnight. The one-minute movement gives the crowd a shared countdown and creates a precise visual transition from the old year to the new one.

The tradition began with the first ball drop in 1907 and has used several different balls over the decades. Modern versions are much larger and more technologically advanced than the original iron-and-wood ball. The current ball is covered with Waterford crystal panels and illuminated by LEDs.

The drop is sometimes confused with the length of the entire Times Square ceremony, which includes musical performances, speeches, and other programming. Those activities last much longer; the timed descent itself lasts one minute.