condensation trails
Jet exhaust clouds
Condensation trails, usually shortened to contrails, are the white streaks left in the sky by aircraft flying at high altitude.
They form when hot, humid exhaust from jet engines meets cold air, causing water vapor to condense and freeze into ice crystals.
Contrails may dissipate quickly or persist for hours depending on atmospheric conditions: The sky was crisscrossed with condensation trails.
- water vaporH₂O in gaseous state
- contrailAircraft condensation streak
- white linesPainted lane dividers
- aviationFlying or operating aircraft
- aeronauticsAircraft engineering science
flight path · flight tracking · atmosphere · high altitude · blue sky · jet stream · aerosols · cirrus clouds · sky writing · ice crystals · supersonic jets · military aircraft · dew point · cloud formation · jet engines · weather modification · air traffic control · temperature
- aviation pollutionaircraft noise, carbon emissions, contrails, emissions, engine emissions
- contrailscontrails
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