Recent Extreme Heat Creates Rainbow Contrails Caught on Camera By Photographer

A photographer from India caught some pretty spectacular views of rainbow contrails coming from an airplane. The rainbow contrails were caught on camera in Kolkata, India on July 24, 2023 by photographer, Soumyadeep Mukherjee.

Rainbow contrails are vivid, multicolored trails left by airplanes. Their presence has aroused public attention, prompting many people to ask how they originate and what produces such a captivating sight.

Contrails, which stand for "condensation trails," are a type of long, thin cloud that develops as a result of the burning of jet fuel behind an aircraft. They are mostly made of water vapor, which in the chilly upper atmosphere condenses to form minute ice crystals. Rainbow contrails are created when sunlight interacts with these ice crystals in specific meteorological circumstances, creating an amazing show of colors.

Photo bySoumyadeep Mukherjee

The complicated process that results in rainbow contrails is dependent on the angle of the sun and the size of the ice crystals that make up the contrails. The sun goes through a process known as dispersion as it shines through the ice crystals. Similar to what happens in a prism, this process breaks the sunlight down into its individual colors, revealing a rainbow of shades.

Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet are the precise hues that can be observed in rainbow contrails. These colors are caused by distinct wavelengths of light that are bent at different angles within the ice crystals. The stunning variety of hues that may be seen in the sky is produced by this dispersion effect.

Photo bySoumyadeep Mukherjee

Although the widespread use of social media has made rainbow contrails more noticeable and extensively reported, they have existed since the beginning of modern aviation. However, recently they have become easier to observe due to an increase in commercial flights and the particular atmospheric conditions needed for their creation. Rainbow contrails are most common during the summer and in warmer climates. One study concluded that contrails create 57% of global aviation's warming impact.

Scientists and meteorologists are still researching these phenomena to learn more about the intricate interactions between atmospheric factors and aircraft emissions. They do this in an effort to find solutions to reduce the harm that contrails pose to the Earth's climate.