Swedish Snowflakes on New Stamps

California's Whittier Daily News reports that the Swedish Postal Service has issued a set of winter stamps featuring images of snowflakes taken by Caltech physicist, Ken Libbrecht.

Libbrecht is quoted as saying, "To capture the characteristics of each crystal, I have developed a special microscope that allows me to add backlighting. The snow crystal functions as a complex lens that reflects light, resulting in beautiful coloring effects."

Libbrecht has taken photographs of both natural and synthetic snowflakes, revealing stunning, unusual designs. He has published several calendars and books on snowflakes describing the art and science of snowflakes.

In 2006, the U.S. Postal Service issued four stamps that also featured photographs of snowflakes taken by him.

To read the entire article, click here.

To view more of Libbrecht's photos and learn about the secret lives of snowflakes, click here.