Yesterday, as I was driving, I noticed out my front windscreen what appeared to be a column of smoke rising from the ground well into the sky about 10 degrees to the left of my forward vision. The thing that initially struck me was it was very vague and hard to see. I first had to ensure that I was really seeing it. Secondly, the two sides of the column (of smoke) were perfectly square and the two sides remained for its entire distance parallel. I noticed in the blue sky overhead a jet contrail. The Sun was directly above the contrail. I have never seen a contrail shadowed in the atmosphere near the ground. While I was flying a plane above a cloud layer, I have seen contrail shadows cast onto the tops of the clouds. But this one did not appear to be cast onto any "surface." It appeared to be vertically suspended in the noontime air. Any help? Perhaps it was an illusion. Hopefully the answer is easier that the questions raised about Albireo. ;-) Thomas N. Corr Linn County Legal Counsel PO Box 100, Albany OR 97321 541.967.3840 Fax 541.928.5424 tcorr@co.linn.or.us <mailto:tcorr@co.linn.or.us> The information contained in this e-mail message is information protected by attorney-client and/or the attorney/work product privilege. It is intended only for use of the individual named above and the privileges are not waived by virtue of this having been sent by electronic mail transmission. If the person actually receiving this e-mail or any other reader of this message is not the named recipient or the employee or agent responsible to deliver it to the named recipient, any use, dissemination, distribution, or copying of the communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please please advise me immediately by reply e-mail, keep the contents confidential, and immediately delete the message and any attachments from your system.
Way easier than the Albireo conundrum; It was the Smoke Monster from Lost! On May 18, 2009, at 4:16 PM, Corr, Tom wrote:
Yesterday, as I was driving, I noticed out my front windscreen what appeared to be a column of smoke rising from the ground well into the sky about 10 degrees to the left of my forward vision. The thing that initially struck me was it was very vague and hard to see. I first had to ensure that I was really seeing it. Secondly, the two sides of the column (of smoke) were perfectly square and the two sides remained for its entire distance parallel. I noticed in the blue sky overhead a jet contrail. The Sun was directly above the contrail.
I have never seen a contrail shadowed in the atmosphere near the ground. While I was flying a plane above a cloud layer, I have seen contrail shadows cast onto the tops of the clouds. But this one did not appear to be cast onto any "surface." It appeared to be vertically suspended in the noontime air. Any help? Perhaps it was an illusion. Hopefully the answer is easier that the questions raised about Albireo. ;-)
Thomas N. Corr Linn County Legal Counsel
I don't watch Lost, so I'm no hope there. I'm sure what you saw was the shadow of the contrail. You almost need to be directly between the contrail and the sun to see such a shadow on the ground cast in the atomosphere itself, at least from my experience. For fun, try to chase it on the ground. '-) The shadow moves very fast. I've tried to photograph this phenomenon before, but by the time I reached my camera it was too late. (Hence at least one failed effort to chase the sucker.) Kim
-----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy- bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Corr, Tom Sent: Monday, May 18, 2009 4:17 PM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Unusual shadow?
Yesterday, as I was driving, I noticed out my front windscreen what appeared to be a column of smoke rising from the ground well into the sky about 10 degrees to the left of my forward vision. The thing that initially struck me was it was very vague and hard to see. I first had to ensure that I was really seeing it. Secondly, the two sides of the column (of smoke) were perfectly square and the two sides remained for its entire distance parallel. I noticed in the blue sky overhead a jet contrail. The Sun was directly above the contrail.
I have never seen a contrail shadowed in the atmosphere near the ground. While I was flying a plane above a cloud layer, I have seen contrail shadows cast onto the tops of the clouds. But this one did not appear to be cast onto any "surface." It appeared to be vertically suspended in the noontime air. Any help? Perhaps it was an illusion. Hopefully the answer is easier that the questions raised about Albireo. ;-)
Thomas N. Corr Linn County Legal Counsel PO Box 100, Albany OR 97321 541.967.3840 Fax 541.928.5424 tcorr@co.linn.or.us <mailto:tcorr@co.linn.or.us>
The information contained in this e-mail message is information protected by attorney-client and/or the attorney/work product privilege. It is intended only for use of the individual named above and the privileges are not waived by virtue of this having been sent by electronic mail transmission. If the person actually receiving this e-mail or any other reader of this message is not the named recipient or the employee or agent responsible to deliver it to the named recipient, any use, dissemination, distribution, or copying of the communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please please advise me immediately by reply e-mail, keep the contents confidential, and immediately delete the message and any attachments from your system.
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Kim, please forgive me but I don't understand this statement at all. Between the contrail and the sun? That's some low-flying jet, or else you were that guy in the lawnchair & weather balloons. On Mon, May 18, 2009 at 6:57 PM, Kim <kimharch@cut.net> wrote:
You almost need to be directly between the contrail and the sun to see such a shadow on the ground cast in the atomosphere itself,
And I hadn't even been drinking. I know what I meant, but I have no idea how it came out that way. Let's say on a line with the contrail and sun. Does that make more sense? I need more sleep. Kim
-----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy- bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Chuck Hards Sent: Monday, May 18, 2009 9:31 PM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Unusual shadow?
Kim, please forgive me but I don't understand this statement at all.
Between the contrail and the sun? That's some low-flying jet, or else you were that guy in the lawnchair & weather balloons.
On Mon, May 18, 2009 at 6:57 PM, Kim <kimharch@cut.net> wrote:
You almost need to be directly between the contrail and the sun to see such a shadow on the ground cast in the atomosphere itself,
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Thanks, everyone, for your comments. A bit more ... Unlike the images on Les Cowley's "Atmospheric Optics" site, the shadow I saw appeared to "arise" out of the ground and "ascend" to the contrail. The time was between noon or 1300 with clear air and unlimited visibility. My wife was driving south. I had only five to ten seconds to view the shadow before it was gone. It appeared to be almost perpendicular to the contrail, instead of parallel to it. I have seen, on many occasions, contail shadows that paralleled the contrail and ones that seemed to show the aircraft chasing its own contrail. This, however, was distinctly different ... hence, my puzzlement. The shadow, contrail, and Sun were almost directly in front of me. The aircraft was no longer in sight. As I remember, I think the alignment is similar to my rough attempt to designate it below. 0 = Sun, / = contrail, | = shadow, ____h_ = horizon, ___ g_ = ground, and > = my eyes. It was the relative angle and the medium against which the shadow was able to be cast that got me wondering. I understand a shadow being cast on a cirrus cloud system, on top of a layer of clouds, but I was driving in almost absolutely CAVU. (Now that I look at the "sketch" below, perhaps you have reasonable grounds to think that I am really "out to lunch," especially if the sketch arrives in your inbox after being completely distorted by the Cyber Monster.) So far, the response that it was the 'Smoke Monster from Lost' appears the most logical explanation. \ <-----------------------------------closest part of contrail extending overhead and behind me \ \ 0 \ | \ | \ | \ | \ | \<-------------------------------farthest part of contrail in the distance in front of me | | _______|__h____ south | /\ _______|__g____ > | ________________________________ From: utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Chuck Hards Sent: Monday, May 18, 2009 8:31 PM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Unusual shadow? Sender ALLOWED [ Remove <https://vq.co.linn.or.us/pk/banner?op=remove_from_allow&From=utah%2Dast ronomy%2Dbounces@mailman.xmission.com&VU=aV47PNhFIWR67juHByvmTQ> ] [ Block <https://vq.co.linn.or.us/pk/banner?op=block_sender&From=utah%2Dastronom y%2Dbounces@mailman.xmission.com&VU=aV47PNhFIWR67juHByvmTQ> ] details <https://vq.co.linn.or.us/userguide/details_allow.html> Vanquish Anti-Spam Control Panel <https://vq.co.linn.or.us/pk/heldemail> Kim, please forgive me but I don't understand this statement at all. Between the contrail and the sun? That's some low-flying jet, or else you were that guy in the lawnchair & weather balloons. On Mon, May 18, 2009 at 6:57 PM, Kim <kimharch@cut.net> wrote:
You almost need to be directly between the contrail and the sun to see such a shadow on the ground cast in the atomosphere itself,
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Thomas, I have seen this before when the jet is flying in a direction exactly away from the sun. The result is the contrail between the sun and your position. This casts the shadow on the ground extending from the jet. It is pretty impressive because behind the jet, the contrail is white and in front of the jet the shadow is black. Rodger Fry ----- Original Message ----- From: "Corr, Tom" <TCorr@co.linn.or.us> To: "Utah Astronomy" <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Monday, May 18, 2009 4:16 PM Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Unusual shadow?
Yesterday, as I was driving, I noticed out my front windscreen what appeared to be a column of smoke rising from the ground well into the sky about 10 degrees to the left of my forward vision. The thing that initially struck me was it was very vague and hard to see. I first had to ensure that I was really seeing it. Secondly, the two sides of the column (of smoke) were perfectly square and the two sides remained for its entire distance parallel. I noticed in the blue sky overhead a jet contrail. The Sun was directly above the contrail.
I have never seen a contrail shadowed in the atmosphere near the ground. While I was flying a plane above a cloud layer, I have seen contrail shadows cast onto the tops of the clouds. But this one did not appear to be cast onto any "surface." It appeared to be vertically suspended in the noontime air. Any help? Perhaps it was an illusion. Hopefully the answer is easier that the questions raised about Albireo. ;-)
Thomas N. Corr Linn County Legal Counsel PO Box 100, Albany OR 97321 541.967.3840 Fax 541.928.5424 tcorr@co.linn.or.us <mailto:tcorr@co.linn.or.us>
The information contained in this e-mail message is information protected by attorney-client and/or the attorney/work product privilege. It is intended only for use of the individual named above and the privileges are not waived by virtue of this having been sent by electronic mail transmission. If the person actually receiving this e-mail or any other reader of this message is not the named recipient or the employee or agent responsible to deliver it to the named recipient, any use, dissemination, distribution, or copying of the communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please please advise me immediately by reply e-mail, keep the contents confidential, and immediately delete the message and any attachments from your system.
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participants (5)
-
Chuck Hards -
Corr, Tom -
Dave Bennett -
Kim -
Rodger C. Fry