Contrails in the cloud

Four flew by

Jet airplanes on their way to somewhere flew through these cirrocumulus stratiformis clouds.  The airplanes are long gone; their contrails remain in the clouds as visible reminders of their passage.

Contrail in the front

 

There is an airplane there

This twin jet engine aircraft is transiting from the clear skies of a cold front for the cloudier ones of the warm front. 

 

 

Visible in silhouette

Having entered the warm front, the contrail from the jet plane began getting longer.

 

 

Sunset on the contrail

 

Sunset, a perfectly clear sky, a lone jet streaking overhead...  

 

 

Short contrail

 

As the sun sets and the airplane travels, its trail gets colored.

Contrail colored by the sunset

 

When there is low humidity in the upper atmosphere, contrails tend to be short.  The humidity level seemed to be just right for this overflight.

 

 

 

 

Louder than wetter

 

Looks ominous but not

Hot day clouds make a break as they approach cooler bay waters. They passed-by with sustained peals of thunder and heat lightning but very little rain.

 

Piled reflection

 

The deep blue sky

 

A reflection of a pier pile, presented as an alternate view.

 

Riffled city

 

Blue-blue skies

 

Riffles on the water transform the city seen.

Needle eye contrail

 

Up in the sky

 

Barely visible itself, this twin jet engine airliner leaves a tell tale "needle eye" contrail in the milky blue sky.  The rather short contrail indicates the air is dry at flight height.

 

East and west contrails

 

Heading west

 

The contrail from a twin engine jet airliner heading west is colored by the setting sun.

Heading east

The contrail from a twin engine jet airliner heading east is colored by the setting sun.

 

The east bound airplane was photographed about five minutes after the west bound flight.  This was enough time for the sun to set even more and change the coloration of the contrail.

Hot day clouds

 

Afternoon clouds

The afternoon's heat raises clouds but no rain.  This cloud-ee scene is presented as a relaxed view 3d stereograph.

 

 

 

Golden contrail

At cross angles to each other

The setting sun imparts a golden hue to the contrail of an airplane about to fly out of view.

Long and short of contrails

Atmospheric conditions cause airplane engines to form exhaust contrails.  These are caused by the hot and moist engine exhaust gases mixing with the cold air.   Long contrails mean the air at the flight level is very humid.  Short contrails indicate drier air and a lack of water vapor in the atmosphere at that altitude.  Very low relative humidity air will rarely produce a contrail.

Short trail

Long trail

In the two exemplars shown here, the contrails are produced by a four-jet engine airplane.

Pre-school school

Prior to opening

A stroll past a school building before the school year has started allows for a leisurely view of the sky reflected in the windows.

Evening parhelion

Just before sunset

Ice crystal laden clouds in the western sky precipitated a sun dog at sunset; the still waters reflect the rainbow.

Building on blue

A blue sky, a blue building...

Building "en bleu"

...green grass in the foreground, and, all done.