Eye-popping new sport taking America by storm - Cosmic Baseball

An eye-popping new sport is taking America by storm - Cosmic Baseball.

The game sees players take to the field at night, entirely lit by eighteen 500-watt black lights.

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.

The idea is the brainchild of Chris Martin, owner of Tri-City Chili Peppers of the Coastal Plain League in Colonial Heights, Virginia.

He says the team had to create their own equipment as no black lights existed that could illuminate a stadium.

The team played their first ever Cosmic Baseball games this season, with more sold-out events planned for late this year.

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.

"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."

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.