Wilson Bentley Ice Flowers

[Dennis]

Well I am a Christian so I read "Our Daily Bread" and today's (Saturday February 13, 2016 is called "Ice Flowers," and mentions Wilson Bentley.

So I Googled him up and saw his microscope photographs which he started taking in 1885.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson_Bentley

We do have fresh snow here from last night but I don't think I'll try anything this time around.

It would be interesting to see if anyone published a book of snowflake photos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Dennis

P.S.
From Our Daily Bread-
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.

1 Corinthians 12:4

Fifteen-year-old Wilson Bentley was captivated by the intricate beauty of snowflakes. He looked with fascination through an old microscope his mother had given him and made hundreds of sketches of their remarkable designs, but they melted too quickly to adequately capture their detail. Several years later, in 1885, he had an idea. He attached a bellows camera to the microscope and, after much trial and error, took his first picture of a snowflake. During his lifetime Bentley would capture 5,000 snowflake images and each one was a unique design. He described them as “tiny miracles of beauty” and “ice flowers.”

.....Christian write up.........

[Dennis]

Google search "Wilson Bentley ice flowers" and choose "images"
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here is one so great-

http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net/p/ ... ey-120.jpg

Oh you can buy the book !

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_ ... Caps%2C195

-Dennis

[charlie g]

Hi,Dennis. I never tried it , but often thought about image captures of snow flakes.

As a collector of all sorts of microscopes...I have quite a few sturdy stands which I could leave overnight in the open wood shed...and then take a point and shoot camera out for a quick image capture.

I just don't have the heart to so treat my microscopes! charlie guevara who oftem thought about snow flake image captures.

[KurtM]

Here ya go, an old favorite website of mine: http://snowcrystals.com/

I'm a gulf coast Texan. We take your word for it that these things exist.

[Dennis]

The snow was coming down here again today in NJ.

I could take my worst scope and use a LED push light and I have a covered porch, but couldn't get them photographed with my USB camera.

If a person tried and succeeded I bet it might blow your mind out and you might get "hooked" on it!

A lot of videos on youtube. Here is a good one-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptLmA263hlk

-Dennis

[gekko]

Thank you, Dale: a fascinating but very difficult subject for imaging.

[charlie]

Thanks for the links Dale,

As tempting as it is to try to imitate and pretty as the images are, mine is a warm weather microscope; as is the operator.

[Dennis]

I didn't say anything for one post saying I was Dale,
But now there is two.
Dennis is not Dale.

No biggie.

-Dennis

[gekko]

I didn't say anything for one post saying I was Dale,
But now there is two.
Dennis is not Dale.

No biggie.

-Dennis

My sincere apologies, Dennis    I did mean Dale, of course. Sorry again.

[charlie g]

It's funny...I leave my 6" achro SkyWatcher refractor telescope in an un heated out building...yet I am chicken to ruin a microscope when I have all sorts of student microscopes coming out of my...well, never mind.

Were I to do it, Dennis, (Sat,2/13/16 colder than -21 degrees F here, Sunday till about 10 am...steady -21 degrees F here)...I wonder what simple crossed POL illumination would display snow flakes as?

And DF of snowflakes? hope all are warm and comfy, charlie guevara

[charlie]

I didn't say anything for one post saying I was Dale,
But now there is two.
Dennis is not Dale.

No biggie.

-Dennis

My sincere apologies, Dennis    I did mean Dale, of course. Sorry again.

What gekko said!

lol, and now another lemming Sorry Dennis

[Oliver]

If you wanto to take pictures of snowflakes, there is a simple yet effective method. I tried this several years ago. Trial and error needed.
Cool nailpolish to below freezing temperature and apply to a slide. Then allow snow to fall on it to make an impression in the nail polish. Allow the nail polish to dry in the cold environment (takes longer than at room temperature). When nail polish is hard, allow snow to melt and evaporate. Observe without cover glass.

The other method of directly observing snow requires you to move the whole microscope to the cold, and then there is condensation forming when it is moved back into the room, and which causes thermal expansion and shrinkigng of parts (I do not know if this is a problem).

Oliver.

[charlie g]

Wow, Oliver...your nail polish method sounds great...I'm giving it a try! thanks for the tip! Charlie Guevara...I think i't in 20's F now .

[charlie g]

You said 'it worked for you'...but I just can't see snow flakes sinking into the vicous nail polish goo. I trying it though. Charlie guevara

[Dennis]

I saw a few websites talking about hair spray.

I do not have nail polish or hairspray. Well actually I do have nail polish- lacquer sealer or lacquer .

hmmm.

So far it is 20 degrees out and snowing like a dog so I am like a kid running through the house with the slides only to view water drops under the microscope.

LED push light so no heat but like 65 degrees inside. I guess I could forgo the USB camera and take the scope outside.

Hold on......
OK out on the porch now.....I am starting to see them. Most look like fern leaves so far.
Wait I SEEN ONE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
10X was too high, 4X works good.

-Dennis

[charlie g]

It sounds like blow by blow microscopy 'ice fishing', Dennis! I promise to myself ( so no forum folk hold me to it) to try Olivers nail polish protocol! Charlie guevara

[zzffnn]

Please do report back, with photos, if possible. Thank you very much! People in the south, like Kurt and I, won't have chance to try it at all.