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SciArt of the Day: MicROCKScopica

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American


Most people equate geology with dull, grey rocks, but petrology Professor Bernardo Cesare is tapping into their spectacular beauty with his MicROCKScopica project. Using a standard technique for analyzing mineral composition of rocks, Cesare cuts and grinds sections of rock into 30-micron-thick slices (that's three-hundredths of a millimeter), mounts them onto microscope slides and shines cross-polarized light through them. The result is a kaleidoscope of color that is as informative as it is beautiful.

Bernardo Cesare's Ocean Jasper Series

The MicROCKScopica Project


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Every day in September, we’re bringing you new science-art of the day. How would these images be useful for science communication? STEM education? Enticing people to learn more about science? Do they inspire you or frustrate you? Let us know below!