No two snowflakes are the same

It's no different from ice, but snowflakes are made up of very complex shapes. A single ice crystal is called a snow crystal. One or more such crystals crystallize together to produce ice crystals. And as you can see, there are countless possibilities for them to stick together.

When Libbrecht began making snowflakes in the lab, he photographed them through a microscope to understand the basic properties of each cotton. Photography was started in 2001.

He found that cold weather created more unique, exotic crystal forms. And when it gets warmer, snowflakes tend to be less spectacular.

Because the ice is very clear, it is necessary to have snowflakes fully exposed to their marvelous beauty, Libbrecht must light in a reasonable angle. " I use different colored lights that shine through the crystal, so that the structure of the ice responds to light just like complex refracting lenses ," he said. Libbrecht must work quickly, using a paint brush to place snowflakes on the rack. When the snowflakes fell, for a few minutes they lost their sharp form and became less attractive.

The photos helped Libbrecht describe the instability in snowflakes that other researchers missed. The study also helped him to analyze unique growth mechanisms, particularly at a very small scale. In addition, it can also be used in making semiconductors.

Libbrecht also said that although no two snowflakes are identical, there are many similarities. " In the lab we often create very simple hexagonal crystals, and they are very similar ."