Physicist Kenneth Libbrecht’s snowflake images have gotten stuck–on a stamp. Last week the United States Postal Service issued four new 39-cent commemorative postage stamps based on Libbrecht’s high-resolution microscope images of snowflakes.
According to Libbrecht, there are 35 different types of snowflake crystals, but the stamps feature two specific types: stellar dendrite snowflake crystals (upper left, upper right, and lower right stamps), which are plate-like and have branches. These are the most popular snow crystal type. The other stamp is a sectored plate snowflake crystal (lower left stamp) that has broad branches with prominent, distinctive ridges.
Collecting the fragile snowflake crystals to photograph is a delicate business. After gathering the crystals, Libbrecht uses a small paintbrush to carefully transfer the snowflake crystals onto a glass slide. Then he captures the images using a digital camera attached to a high-resolution microscope. In order to keep the snowflake crystals from melting, Libbrecht does most of his work outside. “The crystals evaporate away slowly under the lights of my microscope, but it usually takes several minutes before the crystal changes significantly,” says Libbrecht.
When you have time, take a look at Dr. Libbrecht’s Snowflakes and Snow Crystals website.
The side-view of a capped-column is neat. I didn’t even know that type existed.
I was used to thinking of only the dendrite and plate types.
Those are way too complicated to have occurred naturally…had to be intelligently designed.
If you’re interested in just how photos such as these can be captured I encourage you to read an article I wrote on the subject back in February which details some of the history surrounding snowflake photography or look at the March 2006 Popular Mechanics article detailing Emilsson’s cynoacrylate (super glue) method.
I just picked up some of these stamps Thursday morning. I only had a brief look at them thinking they were drawings. They look even more awesome now that I know they are photographs.
We should consider keeping a few smileys around just for Baggins. 🙂
Thanks, Ben.
holy sweet stamps batman
makes me sad – i just got stamps w/ flag on em – boring generic stamps…