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The center of a snowflake is almost always the most beautiful part. Even when the branches are asymmetrical, the center of a snowflake often echoes much stronger symmetry. The reason for this is pretty simple. View large!
As branches grow further away from the center, extremely small changes in humidity and temperature from one end of the snowflake to another will cause ever-so-slight changes in the growth patterns we see. Smaller hexagonal snowflakes have less of this change to deal with, but larger snowflakes can quickly become asymmetric. Very calm wind will often help larger snowflake grow balanced, but that’s not always the case.
This particular snowflake is a little odd, however. The left branch is stunted slightly, and there could be three main reasons for this:
- Aerodynamic properties of the snowflake might favour the growth on the other side, if the right side was facing more incoming water vapour. This is supported by the larger side-branches of the opposing crystal.
- Being attached to another snowflake for a time would slow the crystal growth where the two snowflakes overlap, resulting in a smaller branch with no visible reason when the snowflakes break apart from one another.
- The left branch might have gotten a late start, which would set it back in time by a few minutes and appear as if it’s a younger version of the other branches. This can happen based on the way the branches initially “sprout” from the central hexagonal shape.
In this crystal, the center did something interesting: it split in two. The pattern in the very center is solid, but that gives way to “bubbles” or “cavities” in the ice. The brighter parts of the center are where this cavity is present, allowing for twice the reflective surfaces of the ice. At some point, this cavity grew so large that it effectively split the crystal in two along its thin edge. What happens then? The two edges running in parallel compete for water vapour.
When one of the two edges gets a small lead, the race is won. The winning edge will continue to grow quickly and the loser will grow slowly. The “loser” in this case lost the battle on all sides – it’s the top hexagon. Such uniform losses can be difficult to explain without the knife-edge instability, which might suggest that the lower half of the crystal was slightly thinner than the upper half.
Oh, and I’m not a scientist of physicist. :) All of this is directly observable in the crystal and explanation in layman’s terms that as a science geek I can understand. A few basic rules with complex variables allows for an unending assortment of unique snowflakes!
For the book on the topic, Sky Crystals (science and photographic techniques): skycrystals.ca/book
For “The Snowflake” poster with over 400 crystals all measured and placed in relative size to each-other: skycrystals.ca/poster
And for more snowflakes? Watch this space tomorrow. :)
As a freshly painted UP 8571 leads NS 11Z south through the N&W CPLs in Stuarts Draft, VA, the N&W signals that have stood for decades are due to be taken down as a result of technological “progress.”
47712 'Lady Diana Spencer' on display at the old Crewe Diesel Depot, now Locomotive Services Ltd during their open day held on 08/06/19
Labourers working on a resort construction project,
take a break and head towards their base.. situated on the neighboring island,
where food and lodging is arranged.
Recently, the Labour Ministry reluctantly announced the figures of 'legal' immigrant workers in Maldives at around 75k. Not big.. they must have emphasized, when considering the amount of projects currently underway.
But it is very big, when compared to the local population, currently at around 350k.
That is roughly 1:4 ratio of foreigner to every Maldivian citizen. Young and old included.
In some local village Islands which are in close proximity to construction sites, the figure escalate to alarming levels, which also lead to much tension between groups and hence lead to many unwanted social problems.
There are approximately, 30 newly leased resorts, 11 airports and over 60 harbour dredging projects.. in addition to the numerous building construction projects underway (or about to begin) in the Capital City and in the islands.
If this is not big, then big is certainly on the way shortly.
The Government is taking steps to develop three mega cities in the following zones.. Gulhi Falhu, Bodu Mohoraa and Ihavandhippolhu.
The wind never stops blowing on this spot. It is shaping the landscape and everything around it, including ourselves..
- Netanya, Israel (August 2017)
I am spiraling into what some say is a quarter life crisis. I can feel it happening. It's like I am watching myself live through someone else's eyes. So many changes I can't keep up.
Impossible Project Film
Polaroid 600 camera
INSTAGRAM. @hollographic
NS D12s light power rolls past Osman. The southern half of the siding here has seen little change over these past few months, which is quite the relief given what's happened at Lodge lately. Osman does certainly feel better in these later spring weeks, far less dreary than when the greenery had yet to return. I hope things stay the way they are here - there's certainly less to change, but that does mean if something does change... well, it won't be hard to see it.
September, 2011 was a little over a year into the f-unit era on Pan Am Railways. It still seemed pretty surreal to be out chasing their business train with the pair of ex Conway Scenic/Canadian National FP9's. A month before ST GP9 #77 had come out of the Waterville paint shop in B&M maroon and gold. A couple months later, in November, ST GP9 #52 was painted in an adaption of the simplified MEC green paint scheme. Fast forward 7 years and the business train has gone from once or twice a year to a somewhat frequent move now featuring an ex Wabash Budd dome car. With the purchase of a large fleet of GE B40-8's and C40-8's, the heritage geeps have become surplus and have been sold, likely leaving the property any day now. In this shot the "sisters" are crossing the Androscoggin River at Great Falls from Lewiston into Auburn.
Lewiston/Auburn, Maine
September 14, 2011
"Change here for Bridport West Bay, calling at Toller, Powerstock, Bridport, Bridport East and Bridport West Bay" Unfortunately, the branch line to Bridport closed decades ago!
A new Dorset exploration has commenced, this time following the Bridport Railway branch line from Maiden Newton to Bridport West Bay. The distance is not much over 10 miles but is already proving rather surprising and interesting. Several more exploration posts will follow in the next few weeks.
This photo shows the modern day operation at Maiden Newton Station on the Bristol to Weymouth line. Note the double track lay out that allows a passing place on what is often a single track line in Dorset. On the far platform, the 11.38 is about to depart to Weymouth. On the near platform, the 11.40 stopper awaits a token to depart north, destination Bristol Parkway.
Can you see the guard at the end of the platform? The historic photo below, posted a couple of years ago, will have been taken from the other platform, more or less directly across from where he is standing. It shows where the Bridport Branch operated from at Maiden Newton Station. It is along that trackbed that we started our exploration.
You can read all about the Bridport Railway here en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridport_Railway
There were a number of big changes after the SOO bought the MILW and Stevens Point seen a loss of most through traffic as that was shifted to the former MILW Chicago-Twin Cities main. For awhile though the trains between the Twin Ports and Chicago continued to operate through Stevens Point. This set of power east of the roundhouse is no doubt going to be heading for the Twin Ports before long. SOO 770, CN 5215 and CNW 6580 soak up some hazy late May sun in 1986.
Sunset at the Waddensea. The mudcracks are being formed by the sun which has finally arrived after all those wet weeks, months.
I love the chaotic patterns that are created by the thousands of pools in this area. The water in the pools defines the shapes and every day it's different.
IHB 4015 leads BP12 west through Franklin Park, IL. A new cantilever is going up here as part of the new crossovers going in.
Three Norfolk Southern crew members climb aboard CSX 7736 at Sharonville Yard, ready to take the Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey circus train East towards Watkins Yard in Columbus, OH.
In the cab are two I&O crew members, getting ready to debrief the oncoming crew and detrain for their "taxi". It is here as well the symbols change from IORY-01 to NS 099-20.
The bosses shut the office early today as they're trying to avoid a visit by the three spirits of Christmas so I stopped off on the way home to shoot some of London's landmarks with my trusy old GF2. Here's a view of St Paul's Cathedral from the One New Change shopping/office building.