#schlierenphotography — Public Fediverse posts

Understanding Schlieren

Schlieren techniques are one of my favorite forms of flow visualization. They cleverly make the invisible visible through an optical set-up that’s sensitive to changes in density. They’re great–as seen in the examples here–for seeing local buoyant flows like the plumes that rise from a candle, or for making gases like carbon dioxide visible. They’re also excellent for visualizing shock waves.

In this video, physicist David Jackson explains how one particular flavor of schlieren–one using a spherical mirror–works. There are lots of other possible schlieren set-ups, too, though each one has its quirks. (Video and image credit: All Things Physics; submitted by David J.)

I got curious about whips and came across this video from Smarter Every Day with guest April Choi. They took amazing slo-mo footage with Schlieren imaging of a whip cracking and breaking the speed of sound. You can see the shock wave forming around the tip of the whip. It's incredible. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnaASTBn_K4 (the video has an ad for Audible near the end)

2/2

#whip
#schlierenPhotography
#smarterEveryDay

Finding Simpler Schlieren Imaging Systems https://hackaday.com/2025/10/06/finding-simpler-schlieren-imaging-systems/ #Schlierenphotography #shadowgraph #Schlieren #Science #optics

Finding Simpler Schlieren Imaging Systems https://hackaday.com/2025/10/06/finding-simpler-schlieren-imaging-systems/ #Schlierenphotography #shadowgraph #Schlieren #Science #optics

Finding Simpler Schlieren Imaging Systems https://hackaday.com/2025/10/06/finding-simpler-schlieren-imaging-systems/ #Schlierenphotography #shadowgraph #Schlieren #Science #optics

Finding Simpler Schlieren Imaging Systems https://hackaday.com/2025/10/06/finding-simpler-schlieren-imaging-systems/ #Schlierenphotography #shadowgraph #Schlieren #Science #optics

Finding Simpler Schlieren Imaging Systems - Perhaps the most surprising thing about shadowgraphs is how simple they are: you ... - https://hackaday.com/2025/10/06/finding-simpler-schlieren-imaging-systems/ #schlierenphotography #shadowgraph #schlieren #science #optics

Finding Simpler Schlieren Imaging Systems - Perhaps the most surprising thing about shadowgraphs is how simple they are: you ... - https://hackaday.com/2025/10/06/finding-simpler-schlieren-imaging-systems/ #schlierenphotography #shadowgraph #schlieren #science #optics

Finding Simpler Schlieren Imaging Systems - Perhaps the most surprising thing about shadowgraphs is how simple they are: you ... - https://hackaday.com/2025/10/06/finding-simpler-schlieren-imaging-systems/ #schlierenphotography #shadowgraph #schlieren #science #optics

Finding Simpler Schlieren Imaging Systems - Perhaps the most surprising thing about shadowgraphs is how simple they are: you ... - https://hackaday.com/2025/10/06/finding-simpler-schlieren-imaging-systems/ #schlierenphotography #shadowgraph #schlieren #science #optics

Finding Simpler Schlieren Imaging Systems - Perhaps the most surprising thing about shadowgraphs is how simple they are: you ... - https://hackaday.com/2025/10/06/finding-simpler-schlieren-imaging-systems/ #schlierenphotography #shadowgraph #schlieren #science #optics

“Soap Bubble Bonanza

This video offers an artistic look at a soap bubble bursting. The process is captured with high-speed video combined with schlieren photography, a technique that makes visible subtle density variations in the air. The bubbles all pop spontaneously, once enough of their cap drains or evaporates away for a hole to form. That hole retracts quickly; the acceleration of the liquid around the bubble’s spherical shape makes the retracting film break into droplets, seen as falling streaks near the bottom of the bubble. The retraction also affects air inside the bubble, making the air that touched the film curl up on itself, creating turbulence. Then, as the film completes its retraction, it pushes a plume of the once-interior air upward, as if the interior of the bubble is turning itself inside out. (Video and image credit: D. van Gils)

#flowVisualization #fluidDynamics #fluidsAsArt #physics #schlierenPhotography #science #soapBubbles

Budget Schlieren Imaging Setup Uses 3D Printing to Reveal the Unseen - We’re suckers here for projects that let you see the unseeable, and [Ayden Wardell... - https://hackaday.com/2025/04/17/budget-schlieren-imaging-setup-uses-3d-printing-to-reveal-the-unseen/ #schlierenphotography #shadowgraph #schlieren #science #3dprint

Budget Schlieren Imaging Setup Uses 3D Printing to Reveal the Unseen - We’re suckers here for projects that let you see the unseeable, and [Ayden Wardell... - https://hackaday.com/2025/04/17/budget-schlieren-imaging-setup-uses-3d-printing-to-reveal-the-unseen/ #schlierenphotography #shadowgraph #schlieren #science #3dprint

Budget Schlieren Imaging Setup Uses 3D Printing to Reveal the Unseen - We’re suckers here for projects that let you see the unseeable, and [Ayden Wardell... - https://hackaday.com/2025/04/17/budget-schlieren-imaging-setup-uses-3d-printing-to-reveal-the-unseen/ #schlierenphotography #shadowgraph #schlieren #science #3dprint

Budget Schlieren Imaging Setup Uses 3D Printing to Reveal the Unseen - We’re suckers here for projects that let you see the unseeable, and [Ayden Wardell... - https://hackaday.com/2025/04/17/budget-schlieren-imaging-setup-uses-3d-printing-to-reveal-the-unseen/ #schlierenphotography #shadowgraph #schlieren #science #3dprint

Budget Schlieren Imaging Setup Uses 3D Printing to Reveal the Unseen - We’re suckers here for projects that let you see the unseeable, and [Ayden Wardell... - https://hackaday.com/2025/04/17/budget-schlieren-imaging-setup-uses-3d-printing-to-reveal-the-unseen/ #schlierenphotography #shadowgraph #schlieren #science #3dprint