Patterns

Patterns are everywhere in nature. From the cosmos down to it's constituent atoms we find recognisable patterns both in living and non living forms. On the larger scales are gigantic spirals of stars - the galaxies one of which we inhabit, planetary systems like our own solar system. In the living world are the beautiful shapes of flowers, patterns on butterfly wings, zebras  and in the microworld the geometrical forms of pollen, diatoms  and radiolarians to name just a few.

The laws of mathematics, physics and chemistry can be used to explain patterns in nature and these patterns can be modeled with computer simulations.

Below are some of the images I have taken over the years showing different patterns in nature. The list isn't complete by any means (I haven't managed to photograph snow crystals which show a six point symmetry  yet!).

See the article in Wikipedia 

M31 The Andromeda Galaxy is about 2,000,000 light years distant. I created this image by stacking dozens of images taken with a Canon 550d DLSR. The spiral structure and the central hub can clearly be seen. Research is still going on to determine how these spirals are formed.

A tree at sunrise taken a few miles from my home. Branching patterns here are of a fractal nature. The pattern being repeated at ever smaller scales.Mathematical algorithms can be used to simulate these tree patterns. Tree branching is typical of nature's use of self similarity with ever repeating patterns at smaller and smaller scales.

Another branching pattern formed by recrystallising a solution of baking powder (sodium bicarbonate). x40. Such branching crystals are called dendrites.

.Flowers often show rotational or radial symmetry as in this example from my local park.

 Patterns imitating the folds of the human brain are found in the aptly named Brain Coral taken off the Red Sea coast of Egypt in 2013.

Many animals show bilateral symmetry having a right and a left side and tropical fish are often beautifully patterned as this one from the Red Sea in Egypt.

  This is a desmid, a tiny alga from a local pond with two equal halves often patterned in themselves.

Merion Circulare: A diatom which likes to link up in colonies - this one making a circular pattern.

A salt crystal magnified 40 x. The basic cubic structure is visible here. Crystal shapes can be of many types.

Spherical bubbles tend to group together to make interesting patterns, The sphere has the smallest surface area for a given volume of any shape.

Tiny shells from a beach in North Wales show a spiral symmetry.

A sea urchin shell shows a five point symmetry

This insect eye shows spherical symmetry. A sphere of spheres.

 Patterns on the under wing of a Common Blue butterfly.

Swirling patterns on a soap bubble caused by interference of light by different thicknesses of film.

Pollen grains of the Common Mallow exhibit spherical symmetry.

Ripples on a pond. This rippling effect is similar to the patterns found in sand at the sea side and also dunes in the desert.

A Spider's web coated with ice crystals. Another of nature's intriguing patterns.