One Times Square Rolls Out New “Constellation” New Year’s Eve Ball

The iconic New Year’s Eve countdown at Times Square will feature a new ball this year, and it’s the largest ever.

The Constellation Ball, which is the ninth iteration of the countdown ball to be dropped since its inception in 1907, will measure 12.5 ft. in diameter. It’ll also weigh 12,350 pounds, which is equivalent to roughly 6.2 tons. As is tradition, it’ll be dropped from One Times Square, the 26-story building at the intersection of 42nd St. and Broadway.

Of course, the ball will also be rather bejeweled. One Times Square notes that this “thanks to the official crystal of the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball, Waterford,” and that the crystals will be circular—a striking departure from the triangular crystals that have been part of the ball since 1999.

There won’t just be a difference in crystal shape, but a difference in crystal scale, as well; the new ball will feature twice the amount of crystals (5,280) as the last iteration. What’s more, the crystals will be separated into three diameters: 1.5-inch, 3-inch, and 4-inch. They’ll reportedly represent “Infinite Joy,” “Infinite Light,” and “Infinite Beginnings.”

There will also be new ticketed ball drop features that will bring dedicated New Year’s Eve celebrants closer to the event, according to One Times Square. One, called the “Ball Access Experience,” will permit guests to enter a “360-degree wraparound viewing deck overlooking Times Square.”

The other, more exclusive package will be known as the “Premium Ball Experience.” It’ll allow participants “to craft a special message that will be translated into Morse code and visually communicated through light on the Ball,” which viewers around the world will ostensibly be able to decode.

It’s unclear what these packages will cost, as they have not officially launched yet. However, curious guests can join a VIP waitlist.

In a statement heralding The Constellation Ball, Jamestown CEO Michael Phillips said that “The Constellation Ball is meant to represent interconnectedness, wholeness, and the cyclical nature of tradition, celebrating the eternal relationship between the past, present, and future.” Jamestown is the owner and operator of One Times Square.

The president of the Times Square Alliance, the business improvement district encompassing the area, chimed in with an effusive statement of his own.

“The Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball is one of the most recognized symbols in the world, representing hope and new beginnings for millions,” Tom Harris said. “We’re proud to welcome the new Ball as it takes its place atop One Times Square for this year’s celebration and the many years to come.”

One Times Square was the original home of The New York Times until 1913. Indeed, the paper’s then-editor Adolph Ochs first conceived of the idea of celebration at the building in 1904, as a means of increasing publicity for the publication and its headquarters. In prior years, a bell-ringing at Trinity Church was the most widely-recognized way to herald in the New Year in New York City.

In fact, Ochs’s 1905 ring-in was marked by fireworks, but the FDNY balked on allowing a repeat show by 1906. He therefore landed on the maritime tradition of dropping a grand ball, which happened as the clock hit midnight in 1907, and the rest is history.