contrails

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A busy sunset over Graham Road (with some contrails), Hackney Central (19 September 2005—3 days before the autumnal equinox)

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Contrails are clouds formed when water vapor condenses and freezes around small particles (aerosols) that exist in aircraft exhaust. Some of that water vapor comes from the air around the plane; and, some is added by the exhaust of the aircraft. The exhaust of an aircraft contains both gas (vapor) and solid particles.

 

contrail

Pronunciation: /ˈkɒntreɪl/

noun

chiefly North American

• another term for vapour trail.

Origin:

1940s: abbreviation of condensation trail