Photographer Creates Stunning Shower Of Ice Crystals After Throwing Hot Tea Into The Air During -40 C Weather

Throwing Hot Tea Into The Air While It's -40C Has A Spectacular Outcome

A Canadian photographer has captured the brilliance of physics in one spectacular shot.

Michael Davies decided to document what happens when you throw hot tea into the air in -40C and secured photography gold for all his trouble.

Davies' spectacular iced-tea is due to the way hot water behaves in freezing temperatures.

According to Wired, since hot water is closer to being steam, it forms tiny droplets. This increases the surface area for evaporation causing heat to be removed quickly and allowing for the droplets to freeze.

The same can't be said for cold water, which is more viscous than hot water. This prevents it from breaking into smaller parts.

Speaking to Huffington Post Canada, Davies said: “Around 1 p.m. I jumped on my Ski-Doo along with my friend Markus and we drove 45 minutes up to the top of a nearby mountain where the light would hit the hills."

He added: “I followed the temperature, I watched for calm wind, planned the shot and set it up,” he said. “Even the sun in the middle of the spray was something I was hoping for.”

While Davies certainly struck gold with this shot, it's best if we all don't try this at home given that the UK's temperatures seem almost tropical compared to where the photographer lives.

Pangnirtung, Nunavut, experience extreme weather conditions as it is 50 kilometres below the Arctic circle.

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