Evolution of the Times Square ball drop

In 1904 the New York Times newspaper completed the building of their new publishing location ... the Times Tower. In 1907 a wood and iron ball was hoisted to the top of a flagpole on the roof of the Times Tower at midnight. This was the first Times Square Ball drop. The Times Square ball has evolved since then. Below is a timeline of its technology, composition, and dimensions.

Year first used

Materials Diameter Weight Technology

1907 Iron, wood 5 foot diameter

700 pounds 100 25-watt incandescent light bulbs

1920 Wrought iron 5 foot diameter

400 pounds 100 light bulbs

1955 Aluminum 5 foot diameter

150 pounds 180 light bulbs

1995 Aluminum skin added, 12,000 rhinestones, and computer controls

5 foot diameter

200 pounds 180 halogen light bulbs and 144 strobe lights

2000

Crystal ball created - 504 triangle-shaped Waterford Crystal panels and spinning pyramid-shaped mirrors

6 foot diameter

1,070 pounds 600 halogen light bulbs, 96 strobe lights

2008 6 foot diameter

1,212 pounds

9,576 multicolor LED light bulbs, computerized lighting pattern, can produce over 16.7 million colors, but only consumes the electricity of 10 toasters!

2009 Aluminum frame and 2,688 Waterford Crystal triangles

12 foot diameter

11,875 pounds

32,256 Philips Luxeon Rebel LED modules. Each LED module contains 48 Philips Luxeon Rebel LEDs — 12 red, 12 blue, 12 green, and 12 white for a total of 8,064 of each color.

1920 1995 2009

1. What do you wonder about this data?

2. What questions do you have?

3. What questions can you answer?

4. Have you ever actually seen the Times Square Ball drop?

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Times_Square http://www.timessquarenyc.org/events/new-years-eve/history/index.aspx http://www.hhhistory.com/2014/01/history-of-times-square-ball-dropping.html http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2011/12/ring-in-2012-12-facts-about-the-new-years-eve-ball/

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