This all began when my lovely wife gave me a "storm glass" for Christmas. It was an extraordinarily delightful oddity that ignited in me an interest in meteorology. I'd always had a love, and a fascination for, the various intricate instruments used to measure weather data - in particular, the old, analog gauges, dials, and meters which enabled observers of old to monitor and report on the weather.
Now, the storm glass is a rather controversial instrument - whereupon its efficacy is said to contradict current scientific consensus. As a result, I will describe only its stated function, and my own experiences. Out of the box, the storm glass is a sealed, teardrop-shaped (although, other forms exist) glass container, filled with a solution which changes based on external changes in temperature - and other factors. Supposedly, because of the sealed nature of the vessel, external changes in pressure should have no effect on the pressure within the vessel. Nonetheless, it is thought that external pressure nonetheless plays a role.
According to the changes in external atmospheric conditions, the solution precipitates a variety of crystals, and said crystals grow in different ways depending on what the storm glass predicts. If there are large crystals, there . Perhaps the best means of describing the method behind interpreting the storm glass is a blend of scrying, observation, and perhaps divination. It's truly a beautiful piece, and marks the centerpiece of my assortment of instruments - in spite of its controversial past.
Getting on to a more scientific instrument, we have the galileo themometer - the principle of operation here is much simpler. As ambient temperature changes, the boyuancy of several colorful glass orbs contained within a sealed, glass tube, changes. With these changes, some of the small glass balls sink to the bottom, whilst others float - the indication on the lowest reading of the lowest floating bulb indicated temperature. Personally, this instrument is invaluable for monitoring interior temperature.
Another useful one is a glass globe barometer - as my home reflects the pressure outside, I find it to be a very reliable means of monitoring pressure changes - and as we know, with low atmospheric pressure comes rain. This tool, in my experience, has a 70% accuracy rate in predicting changes in weather. As I oftentimes get headaches with changes in pressure, it's also an incredibly useful tool for predicting whether I'll have a headache the next morning!
For exterior temprature, I use a more conventional alcohol thermomete.
Moreover, I've always been fascinated by weather itself; and the elaborate meteorological mechanisms that lead to the various changes we witness in the heavens. More fascinating yet is how incredibly subtle changes in conditions can make the difference between a record-setting hailstorm and a sunny day. In fact, it's remarkable
While the modern, digital weather stations can be had for under $60 on Amazon, they just didn't do it for me - even with the superior data they provided, there was something about the precision-made, quality arrays of barometers, hygrometers, and spinning anemometers at the old Moscow Polytechnic Institute that I'd frequent with my father. I started by acquiring a Galileo thermometer, and a pressure-measuring glass globe. These enabled me to monitor my indoor temperature, the Here is a rundown of the instruments:To learn more HTML/CSS, check out these tutorials!