I've previously posted about Wilson Alwyn Bentley who in the late 19th century created an amazing collection of snowflake photomicrographs. Inspired by Bentley, Icelandic chemist Tryggvi Emilsson came up with a way to "preserve" the structure of snowflakes using superglue and microscope slides. The snowflake seen here has been stored in Emilsson's desk since 1979. From Popular Science:
1. Set microscope slides, coverslips and superglue outside when it's 20°F or colder to chill them. Catch flakes on the slides or pick them up with cold tweezers.2. Place a drop of superglue on the snowflake. Note: Gel glue doesn't work. Find a brand that's thin and runny.
3. Drop a coverslip over the glue. Don't press down hard or the flake could tear or melt from the heat of your finger.
4. Leave the slide in a freezer for one or two weeks and don't touch it with warm hands. The glue must completely harden before the snowflake warms up.
Link (Thanks, Lindsay Tiemeyer!)
