In Times Square’s New Year’s Eve celebration, what object drops at midnight?

In Times Square’s New Year’s Eve celebration, the Times Square Ball drops at midnight.

The tradition began on December 31, 1907, when the first ball descended from the flagpole atop One Times Square. The original ball was made of iron and wood, decorated with 100 light bulbs, and measured about 5 feet (1.5 meters) across. The event replaced a fireworks display that had been held at the site.

Today’s ball is a much larger geodesic sphere covered with Waterford crystal panels and illuminated by LEDs. Its descent lasts 60 seconds and begins at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. The ball reaches the base of the pole exactly at midnight, when the new year begins.

A common mix-up is calling it the “New York ball,” but its formal name is the Times Square Ball. The ceremony has been canceled only in a few exceptional periods, including wartime blackouts during World War II.