For 100 out of the last 102 New Year's Eves, people from around the world have rung in the New Year by watching a lighted ball drop over New York’s Times Square (the two exceptions being during WWII, when the New Year was instead met with a moment of silence followed by the ringing of church bells).

Although the tradition hasn’t changed, the ball itself has gone through a lot of changes over the century, the most recent being to go green by replacing its combination of incandescent and halogen bulbs with energy efficient LED lamps. As we prepare to ring in not just another new year, but a whole new decade, here are some facts about this year’s New Year’s Eve Ball to keep in mind as we approach its annual hour to shine.

The newest ball is a 12 foot geodesic sphere, double the size of previous Balls, and weighs 11,875 pounds.

It’s covered in 2,668 Waterford Crystals and powered by 32,256 Phillips LEDs.

Focus Lighting created the lighting design, which uses over 3,500 lighting cues for a brilliant, kaleidoscopic display of light.

The lighting design is carefully orchestrated to highlight every facet of each crystal, making the sparkle visible from as far as 500 feet.

The Times Square Alliance is so proud of this newest ball that, as of last year, they have made it a permanent fixture over Times Square, using it to put on a light show on various holidays and occasions throughout the year.

The number of people who gathered for the first New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square was a respectable 200,000. Since then, the number of people who gather to watch the ball drop live has grown to an estimated 1 million.

As this remarkable work of lighting design descends over Times Square to signify the start of 2010, we wish you and yours all the best for a Happy New Year!