They say every snowflake is different from the last, and now we know that to be true, thanks to these astonishingly detailed images.

Taken with a low temperature scanning electron microscope (LT-SEM), the pictures are the work of the Beltsville Agricultural Research Centre in Maryland.

They are undoubtedly beautiful to look at but now for the science bit: Snow and ice crystals are delivered to the facility after being collected on copper sample plates containing pre-cooled methyl cellulose solution.

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