(photo via Stella Dacuma)

Ever wonder what the flashing string of numbers in Union Square is counting… or how to read it? Well, it’s a counting time (yes, it’s a clock, boooooo-ring…) and here’s how to read it, via doanie:

The 15 numbers of the digital clock display time going and coming relative to midnight. Read time going left to right and time coming in the opposite direction. So, if the clock reads 180746***135205 it means that it is 6:07 P.M. (18 hours/07 minutes/46 seconds since midnight) and that there are 5 hours/52 minutes/13 seconds remaining until midnight. The three numbers in between are a blur of moving numbers. It is like a digital hourglass.

I admit, I never had a clue how the hell to read that thing. Mystery solved!