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Snowflakes, while resembling ice, are formed in incredibly complex shapes. A single ice crystal is referred to as a snow crystal. One or more of these snow crystals can stick together to form a snowflake. As you can see, there are countless ways they can bond with one another.
When Libbrecht began crafting snowflakes in the laboratory, he photographed them through a microscope to understand the fundamental characteristics of each flake. His photography work started in 2001.
He discovered that cold weather produces unique and bizarre crystal formations. Conversely, when the temperature rises, the snowflakes tend to be less spectacular.
Because ice is very transparent, to reveal the full beauty of the snowflakes, Libbrecht had to illuminate them at the right angles. “I use different colored lights shining through the crystals, which enables the structure of the ice to respond to the light like complex lenses refracting sunlight,” he explained. Libbrecht had to work quickly, using a paintbrush to place the snowflake onto the photography stand. Once the snowflake fell, within minutes it lost its sharp shape and became less appealing.
The photographs have helped Libbrecht describe the instability within snowflakes that other researchers overlooked. His research has also allowed him to analyze unique growth mechanisms, especially on a microscopic scale. Additionally, it may have applications in semiconductor manufacturing.
Libbrecht also mentioned that while no two snowflakes are exactly alike, there are many similarities. “In our laboratory, we often create very simple six-sided crystals, and they look quite similar.”
