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Optical Effects
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Contrails and contrail shadows present themselves in this unique atmospheric optical phenomena, wherein the shadows are created when the sun (or moon) casts a shadow of an aircraft contrail onto a lower layer of clouds or haze. The interplay of light, clouds, and ice crystals, coupled with one's viewing angle, gives rise to a captivating display in the sky, as seen here during sunset over Falls Church, Virginia, US.
A distrail, short for dissipation trail, forms when an aircraft flies through a supercooled cloud, such as with this altocumulus, as its usually either frozen or supercooled and can show distrails. This example was spotted over Falls Church, Virginia, US.
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Altocumulus stratiformis, which is the most common type of altocumulus, spotted over Falls Church, Virginia, US
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Cirrus that appears to have developed, at least in part, as a result of prior contrails, spotted over Staunton, Virginia, US
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Stratocumulus undulatus over Arlington, Virginia, US
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Altocumulus over Falls Church, Virgnia, US
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Homogenitus from a contrail that resembles the remnants of a waterspout, spotted near Sereno del Mar, California, US
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Sunset over Bodega Bay, California, US
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Homogenitus from what appears to be remnants of a contrail over Calaveras Big Trees National Forest, California, US
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Altocumulus over Bodega Bay, California, US
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Lacunosus is in view for anyone walking in the crosswalk and looking up, as spotted over Petaluma, California, US
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