First Ever Photo of a Molecule!
I debated, but this is just so damn cool that it needs a thread.
http://img.skitch.com/20090830-eekbj...mq7n9c787h.jpg
This is it. Every single last atom. Sure, it’s a bit fuzzy, but still…very cool.
The researchers focused on a single molecule of pentacene, which is commonly used in solar cells. The rectangular-shaped organic molecule is made up of 22 carbon atoms and 14 hydrogen atoms.
In the image above the hexagonal shapes of the five carbon rings are clear and even the positions of the hydrogen atoms around the carbon rings can be seen.
To give some perspective, the space between the carbon rings is only 0.14 nanometers across, which is roughly one million times smaller than the diameter of a grain of sand.
And one last bit of info about how this little guy was photographed…
The experiment was also performed inside a high vacuum at the extremely cold temperature of -268C to avoid stray gas molecules or atomic vibrations from affecting the measurements.
Justin Gardner - Political Pulse – Behold! The First Photo Of A Molecule! - True/Slant
