STELLATE OBJECTS FOR THE
MICROSCOPE
Snow crystal
image by Arthur Burton
Cast of a snow crystal
Cast of a snow Crystal. Our last image was presented to us by Arthur Burton of Middle Woodford. He uses a very ingenious method to photograph snow crystals. Both clear nail varnish and 3x1 inch slides are stored in a box in a freezing compartment of a refrigerator. When examples of snow occur, the box is taken outdoors and the glass is smeared with the varnish. Snow is then allowed to fall on the sticky surface. It is returned to the box which is again placed in the fridge. After several hours the solvent will have evaporated and a hard perfect cast of the crystals is left on the surface of the slide. The idea is to maintain the snow in a frozen condition until the solvent is quite dry and hard.