I always find it frustrating when people imply that science in any way diminish the beauty of the natural world. The current weather demonstrates exactly the opposite with the Science Photo Library hosting a bunch of snow-related images, starting with the image of the week:
That’s not cloud over the UK but snow on the ground. They also have some lovely images of snow flakes:
And finally it gives me another chance to look at one of my favourite websites, Atmospheric Optics, which does what it says on the tin, showing beautiful photos of weird optical phenomena in the atmosphere, such as ice haloes:
And then explains in some detail how they are formed, based the shapes of ice crystals in the atmosphere :
Brilliant!
Yes!
I was checked on the way in to work the other day. Fresh snow… and a robin. Not as though I’ve never seen it before, but it’s always just a great image because the red breast is rendered more vivid against the white background. (Didn’t have my camera, sorry, but you’ll have seen many a Xmas card.)
Beautiful – I see they have a great collection of snow crystal photos.
Like this one:
KENNETH LIBBRECHT / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
wow, agreed, science can beautify.
I’ve a new appreciation for snow. The crystals remind me of looking through a kaleidoscope. The symmetry of them are amazing!