An eye-popping new sport is taking America by storm - Cosmic Baseball.<br /><br />The game sees players take to the field at night, entirely lit by eighteen 500-watt black lights.<br /><br />Thanks to light-coloured kits and ball, and liberal daubings of ultraviolet (UV)-sensitive paint on faces and skin, the crowd can enjoy the teams as they play a real competitive game.<br /><br />The idea is the brainchild of Chris Martin, owner of Tri-City Chili Peppers of the Coastal Plain League in Colonial Heights, Virginia.<br /><br />He says the team had to create their own equipment as no black lights existed that could illuminate a stadium.<br /><br />The team played their first ever Cosmic Baseball games this season, with more sold-out events planned for late this year.<br /><br />Chris Martin told ABC 8News: "Before fans even get here, they are all excited. They want to see it, they want to see if guys can actually do it.<br /><br />"And then when you see the first ball get put in play, both games, the first ball was put in play, I think the fans just erupt. They're like, 'Holy crap, this is real. We can do this."<br /><br />Black lights give off harmless, UV light invisible to humans. Certain fluorescent substances absorb ultraviolet light and re-emit it at a different wavelength, making the light visible and the material appear to glow.
