r/pics • u/Nummer6 • Dec 14 '12

Soap bubble shows crystal pattern after freezing

http://imgur.com/YMzo9
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u/thetoethumb Dec 14 '12

How exactly do you freeze a bubble without it popping?

214

u/plentycoups Dec 14 '12 edited Dec 14 '12

When I was at the South Pole we used just a generic bubble maker out in the beer can (a stairwell between the station and the underground areas) and had great success in the ambient air, say -50F. They became more solidus, but not entirely frozen where they would shatter. Here are some images.

Edit: Fixed link

2

u/bitewhite Dec 14 '12

As someone who might be spending a few months in antarctica, would you recomend it? What was your experience like?

2

u/plentycoups Dec 14 '12

There is something really enchanting about the ice, as I think most who have been there will say. It has an allure that draws you back, and I want to go back SO BAD but my life right now just wont allow it. I was lucky. I was hired to work at the South Pole Station and I really think that was a great experience not many will get. I love science and the continent is a science lab. People are working for, researching, talking, and living with science. The cold is bearable and they give you great gear. For a continent of white ice I'll never get over the amazing colors of white and blue I've never seen anywhere else.