* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

Snowfakes

Blobrana · L

Guinness World Records list the world's largest snowflakes as those of January 28th, 1887, at Fort Keogh, Montana; allegedly one measured 38 cm wide.
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Blobrana · L

The first snowflakes of the season have arrived for many of us, and what beauties they are. Back in 1611 Johannes Kepler, the German astronomer, tore himself away from the stars for a while and admired snowflakes instead, noticing that almost every snowflake had six sides. He postulated that this was because it was the most efficient way for frozen moisture to pack together.
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Blobrana · L

Lovely 'snowfakes' mimic nature, advance science
Exquisitely detailed and beautifully symmetrical, the snowflakes that David Griffeath makes are icy jewels of art.
But don't be fooled; there is some serious science behind the UW-Madison mathematician's charming creations. Although they look as if they tumbled straight from the clouds, these "snowfakes" are actually the product of an elaborate computer model designed to replicate the wildly complex growth of snow crystals.

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