Freezing soap bubbles during Maryland’s cold spell

3 photos, 1 video

Baltimore Sun photographer Karl Merton Ferron took advantage of the slightly-warmer-but-still-chilly polar vortex weather to test a cold-weather experiment: freezing soap bubbles.



Ferron mixed together 1 1/2 ounces water, 1/2 ounce dishwashing liquid (he used Dawn) and 1/4 ounce honey to create a bubble solution. Hexagonal and star-like ice crystals slowly formed within the bubbles as they flew, so Ferron used a bubble wand to catch them and photograph their transformation. Later, he found out a plastic trashcan cover did a good job of allowing the bubbles to freeze.

(In case you want to try this at home the next time the temperature dips: The original “recipe” Ferron found called for 3 cups water, 1 cup dishwashing liquid and 1/2 cup white corn syrup.)