This image may not be used to state or imply NOAA endorsement of any company or product Snowflake. Light micrograph of a snowflake taken by Wilson Ben

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This image may not be used to state or imply NOAA endorsement of any company or product Snowflake. Light micrograph of a snowflake taken by Wilson Bentley (1865-1931). Bentley, a farmer from Vermont, USA, was the first person to successfully photograph snow flakes, taking the first photograph in 1885. He used a bellows camera attached to a light microscope. Snowflakes are symmetrical ice crystals that form in calm air with temperatures near the freezing point of water. The exact shape of a snowflake depends on local climatic conditions. Snowflakes typically have hexagonal symmetry. No two snowflakes are identical, as each experiences a wide range of conditions as it forms inside a cloud.

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Size: 2654px × 3307px
Photo credit: © NOAA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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