When is this EVER "normal"......

[David from Dothan]

......70 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico ?

 

[Becky]

How beautiful! I believe cloud iridescence is caused by small water droplets or ice crystals in the atmosphere diffracting the sunlight. So pretty!

 

[David from Dothan]

How beautiful! I believe cloud iridescence is caused by small water droplets or ice crystals in the atmosphere diffracting the sunlight. So pretty!

It only happens around here AFTER there has been a LOT of planes laying down trails that expand and fan out (not dissipate).

 

[marlingardener]

David, we are in Texas, and there is an air base about 100 miles from us. When the planes are being moved or are on maneuvers, we see a lot of contrails that look like yours.
We keep an eye on the sky because of sudden rain storms or (shudder) tornadoes. It's a pleasure to see the lovely cloud formations or refractions.

 

[David from Dothan]

David, we are in Texas, and there is an air base about 100 miles from us. When the planes are being moved or are on maneuvers, we see a lot of contrails that look like yours.
We keep an eye on the sky because of sudden rain storms or (shudder) tornadoes. It's a pleasure to see the lovely cloud formations or refractions.

Watch the planes.......if you see a contrail behind one, it will disappear 1/4 mile or so behind the plane......and, every now and then I do see a plane with a true contrail, now........Being 65 and having seen boo-coo contrails during the 1950's and 60's (when it was common to hear sonic booms as the jets broke the sound barrier), there was never, EVER a contrail that turned into cloud coverage......let alone created reflected colors in the sky.

 

[Silentrunning]

The reason we have everlasting contrails is that the jets are burning aluminum in their fuel for higher efficiency.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Aluminum or Aluminum oxide as a oxidizer for low oxygen high altitude fuel needs?

 

[Becky]

Watch the planes.......if you see a contrail behind one, it will disappear 1/4 mile or so behind the plane......and, every now and then I do see a plane with a true contrail, now........Being 65 and having seen boo-coo contrails during the 1950's and 60's (when it was common to hear sonic booms as the jets broke the sound barrier), there was never, EVER a contrail that turned into cloud coverage......let alone created reflected colors in the sky.

Back then jets were less common, cabins tended to be unpressurised, and consequently the maximum cruising altitude was massively lower than it is today. Contrails tend to form at higher altitudes, hence the difference