Caltech Physicist Still Holds Record for Largest Snowflake

More than 20 years ago, while out taking photos in chilly northern Ontario, Canada, Ken Libbrecht (BS ’80), a Caltech professor of physics, noticed enormous snowflakes drifting down all around him.

Although that wintry wonderland moment occurred decades ago, one of the snowy specimens Libbrecht photographed that day officially remains the world’s largest documented natural snow crystal, a six-sided beauty that measures about 1 centimeter in size.

That sighting landed Libbrecht in the Guinness Book of World Records, a record he still holds.

For Libbrecht, whose research focuses on crystal growth, snowflakes are more than just a festive seasonal interest. He has documented and studied them extensively, and has developed what he calls a “grand unified theory” of snowflake formation.

For more information about Libbrecht and his research, visit https://magazine.caltech.edu/post/biggest-snow-crystal-ken-libbrecht or https://www.snowcrystals.com/.