Contrails Over Rh̫ne Valley, ISS Image
Digital photograph taken through the windows of the International Space Station on May 15, 2002, shows condensation trails over the RhÌ«ne Valley in the region west of Lyon. Condensation trails, or contrails, are straight lines of ice crystals that form in the wake of jet liners where air temperatures at altitude are lower than about 40å¡C. Newer contrails are thin whereas older trails have widened with time as a result of light winds. Because of this tendency for thin contrails to cover greater areas with time, it is estimated that these "artificial clouds" cover of the planet's surface. Percentages are far higher in some places such as southern California, the Ohio River Valley and parts of Europe, as illustrated here.
Size: 4650px × 3069px
Photo credit: © Photo Researchers / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 15, 15th, 2000s, 2002, 21st, airplane, artificial, century, clouds, condensation, contrails, earth, europe, france, image, international, iss, jet, liner, lyon, rhone, rh̫ne, science, space, station, trails, valley
