Can someone tell me what these are? [Grid pattern contrails]

Elbert

New Member
IMG_20170331_082452.jpg IMG_20170411_175845_STEREO.jpg Hello,

Since the last few months i see a lot of activity in the air.
As you can see in the photo's i attached.

These trails are in patterns this is nothing like normal to me.

I hope someone can tell me what this is.
 
To second Deirdre's post, the ContrailScience Simulator is a great way to see why wind and regular flight paths lead to contrails appearing to form patterns.

Stop-motion videos are also useful as you can actually see that the contrails are moved by the wind.

Ray Von
 
they are grid pattern contrails. Check out Flightradar24 and you will see the air traffic over you.

You can use the search box to find out more about "grid" pattern contrails or check out www.contrailscience.com


I don't know how to embed the app simulator. this gives you a general idea.
http://contrailscience.com/contrail-simulations/
Thank you! Now i understand how these grid patterns are made.
But what i don't understand is that those contrails are always in the line of where the sun is.
If i look away of the sun i don't see any contrails..

I will make more photo's and post them in this thread.
 
But what i don't understand is that those contrails are always in the line of where the sun is.
If i look away of the sun i don't see any contrails..
Your photos show contrails well away from the sun.

In any case, the position of contrails relative to the sun depends entirely on your position. Contrails are about 6 or 7 miles up. The sun is 93 million miles up. So if you shift your position by just a few miles to one side, the contrail that appears to cover the sun from your original position will not appear anywhere near the sun.
 
But what i don't understand is that those contrails are always in the line of where the sun is.

based on
Since the last few months i see a lot of activity in the air
Since there are lots of photos like yours in your general area dating years and years back...

most likely what is happening is that you read something that made you start to notice contrails. And perhaps you read the chemtrail myth that contrails only form over the sun as well. This would cause you to only notice them at that time (or you only notice them when you are driving home from work, for example, and you are facing the setting sun.

To tell truth, I used to notice contrails all the time, but haven't in quite a while since I haven't been thinking or reading about them here.

Posting more pics of contrails over the sun wont help. What will help (you) is to take panoramas of the sky everyday, multiple times a day. Or short video scans of the sky if your camera/phone/ allow. Then you will get a more realistic view of what the contrails are doing near you.
 
Thank you! Now i understand how these grid patterns are made.
But what i don't understand is that those contrails are always in the line of where the sun is.
If i look away of the sun i don't see any contrails..

I will make more photo's and post them in this thread.

Ice crystals (cirrus/contrails) are generally much larger than the wavelength of light. From Mie theory this means that that they scatter much more light in the forward direction compared to backscatter. Ie. there are brighter looking towards the sun.
See, for example: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=f...AKHTpVDcQQsAQIUg&biw=1360&bih=661&dpr=1#spf=1
 
those contrails are always in the line of where the sun is.

As Trailblazer mentioned, that is entirely dependent on your position. Think of someone else 10 miles away from you looking up and seeing the same trail in an entirely different position relative to the sun.
 
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