Beautiful patterns in nature.
Dendrite Snowflake
Photograph by Kenneth Libbrecht
Dendrite snowflakes first occur when the temperature hovers between 30 degrees Fahrenheit (-1 degree Celsius) and 27 degrees Fahrenheit (-3 degrees Celsius).
Sectored Plate Snowflake
Sectored Plate Snowflake
Photograph by Kenneth Libbrecht
A snowflake's shape depends on the temperature at which it forms. This type of snowflake, called a sectored plate, forms when the temperate dips below about 5 degrees Fahrenheit (-15 degrees Celsius).Plate Snowflake Crystal
Photograph by Kenneth Libbrecht
Scientists aren't sure why temperature affects crystal formation and leads to different shapes of snowflakes.Dendrite Snowflake Crystal
Photograph by Kenneth Libbrecht
Scientist and photographer Kenneth Libbrecht, chair of the physics department at the California Institute of Technology, studies snowflakes "in the wild" and grows his own under controlled conditions.
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