One of the great traditions of New Year's Eve is the descent of the mirror ball in Times Square, New York City. This has been going on for 100 years now.
Green is Good
This last year, the ball received another makeover and now can proudly claim that it is officially green. It now contains 9,576 energy-efficient bulbs that use about the same amount of electricity as ten toasters. They are smaller and twice as bright. In addition, they can create more than 16 million colors against the 672 Waterford Crystal triangles.
A Short history of the Ball
It descends 77 feet over a minute's time as the screen below it counts down the seconds.
1907- first descent on a flagpole. Made of iron and wood and had 100 25 watt bulbs. Weighed in at 700 pounds and 5 feet in diameter.
1920-- new 400 pound ball
1942-1943-- stopped because of WWII wartime light restrictions. A moment of silence observed at midnight.
1955-- new 150 pound ball.
1981-1988-- made to look like an apple because of the "I Love NY" campaign
1989-- traditional white lights brought back.
1955-- ball gets computerized, aluminum-coated, rhinestones, and a strobe light system.
1999-- aluminum ball replaced.
2000-2006-- overhauled for the millennium celebrations. Now at 1070 pounds, 6 feet in diameter, 504 crystal triangles, 168 halogen exterior lights and 432 light bulbs of different colors inside.
Thanks to Wikipedia "Times Square Ball"
Who Says You Can't Make an Old Thing Better? --DaCoot
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