Contrails off Norwegian coast - August 17th, 2009

Condensation trails, or contrails, are caused by hot engine exhaust  from airplanes cooling in the atmosphere and leaving streaks of condensed water vapor in the aircraft’s flight path.

Here, a series of condensation trails off the west coast of Norway trace a circular path, rather than a straight one as such contrails frequently do. This was probably caused by an airplane not being able to land immediately and having to remain in a holding pattern or having to make several landing attempts. Such changes in usually linear flight paths can leave circular or spiralled condensation trails.

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