marzo 2026

Welcome to a Small World.

The moment you peer gently through the microscope, tiny crystals reveal themselves as if unvelling a secret. Snow crystals, works of art created by nature, sparkle like jewels when they catch the light, drawing us into a fantastical world. Silvery geometric patterns emerge from the pitch-black darkness. Their sparkle reveals a variety of expressions depending on how the light hits them.

This application note focuses on the diverse brilliance created by the "reflection, refraction, and scattering" of light, and introduces　illumination techniques to maximize the beauty of snow crystals. In addition, the the ECLIPSE Ei upright microscope, commonly used in school laboratory, features a simple and user-friendly design while being equipped with a condenser that provides the high numerical aperture required for dark-field observation. This document also explains how to create a homemade filter (light shield) to achieve dark-field illumination with the "ECLIPSE Ei.“

Keywords: Snow crystals, Snowflakes, Microscope photography, Illumination techniques, Lighting, Oblique illumination, Dark-field illumination, Rheinberg illumination, Colored background, Filters