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Subject:
Ice (water, CO2 and other) halos
From:
Marc Taylor <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informal Science Education Network <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 4 Dec 2012 12:52:29 -0500
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ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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The ASTC list has been of great help with everything from Latin
translation to projector calculations, so I'm hoping I'll get good input
on this:

I'm considering an activity for the winter which would demonstrate how
ice crystals in the air create halos around the Moon and Sun.

With a point source of light, a chilled piece of glass with ice crystals
on it should create the 22 deg. ring. Play with it a bit, and "sun dogs"
should appear.

But ideally, I'd also like to demonstrate how other types of crystals
can create other types of halos.

Now, I don't have access to a large CO2 cryogenic plant or a vacuum
chamber, so I was hoping to be able to find an inert, room-temperature,
particulate crystalline substance I could mix with a clear carrier, and
paint on a piece of clear glass or plastic, which would mimic the
crystalline spacing of carbon dioxide or other crystals.

No idea if anyone else on the list has tried this, but if you have any
insights... and yes, I'm going to be breaking out my old mineralogy
textbook and brushing up on my Miller indicies.


Marc Taylor
Manager, Planetarium and Science Programs
Hudson River Museum
511 Warburton Avenue
Yonkers, NY 10701
914 963 4550 x223
Fax 963 8558
[log in to unmask]

www.hrm.org

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