Tungsten Forest
This is a colored scanning electron micrograph (SEM) image of crystals of tungsten metal, called a tungsten forest, coating the inside of an electron gun of a SEM. The energy of the beam of electrons produced by the gun is so powerful that it evaporates the tungsten metal, which then cools and crystallizes on the inner surface of the gun’s chamber. This image has a magnification of 1,920 times its original size when viewed at a size of 10 centimeters.
Ice Flowers
These peculiar natural phenomena are formed on new layers of sea ice from saturated water vapors that come up from under the ice through cracks. In contact with the cold air, the vapors start to freeze and the salt on the surface of the ice begins to crystallize, serving as a base for the sublimated water to build off of. The ‘petals’ of ice flowers are very delicate and will come off when touched. They usually form in sunlight and typically are visible in the early mornings or in shaded areas.
