SkyStef's weather & aviation page
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SkyStef's weather & aviation page |
Picture of the month September 2010
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| Picture taken at Koksijde on July 30, 2010. |
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Condensation trails or contrails are clouds which form
in the wake of aircraft when the atmosphere at flying level is sufficiently
cold and humid and they form in three ways: 1. exhaust of
airplane engines, 2.
aerodynamic due
pressure changes
and 3.
instability provoked by
aircraft flying through an undisturbed layer. Depicted is an aerodynamic contrail due to sudden lowering of the pressure field on the upper side of wings. Sunlight can be deflected by the contrails water droplets in such a way that it causes a rainbow alike coloration called iridescence. But on this pictures another rather surprising effect of condensation became visible: in front and sidewards of the airplane a thin line appears in hart shaped form and this was the result of a pressure change coming from the sound wave. Usually invisible, the atmospheric circumstances are sometimes perfect to have a glimpse on it. More pictures of special contrail pictures via this link |
