Astonishing Beauty, Diversity of Sand Grains Revealed at Microscopic Level (Photos)

Blue, orange, and pink sand grains from Maui. The tip of a spiral shell has broken off and become a grain of sand. After being repeatedly tumbled by action of the surf this spiral sand grain has become opalescent in character. It is surrounded by bits of coral, shell, and volcanic material. (Dr. Gary Greenberg)

Dr. Gary Greenberg is an expert at exploring the beauty of nature at the microscopic level. He started out as a photographer and filmmaker. His photos of pancreatic cancer cells were used as the planet Krypton in the first Superman movie. 

He later earned a PhD in biomedical research. He has invented high-definition microscopes, and has used microscopes to capture stunning images of sand, wine, food, and other objects we encounter daily. 

Here are some of his photos of sand at the microscopic level. You can see more of his sand images in his book “A Grain of Sand,” or on his website. 

See more of Dr. Greenberg’s work on other subjects in the gallery on his website.

MORE:

Beautiful Science: What Your Body Looks Like Under a Microscope

Beautiful Science: What Your Food Looks Like Under a Microscope