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Archive 2014 · Contrails??

  
 
Camperjim
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Contrails??


There is a harbor a little over a mile from my house. I have spent so many months traveling across the country that I have ignored visiting except for a handful of times. Last night I visited and was rewarded with a blazing red sunset. There appeared to be a lot of contrails, way too many to remove. I posted 3 of those images yesterday (titled: Sunset Choices).

Tonight I visited again. The sunset was not nearly as intense, but I did not notice any airplanes or contrails....at least initially. As the sun was setting dark lines appeared in the sky. They seem to radiate out from the direction of the sunset. Maybe they are contrails I could not see at first because they were above the clouds. At least that is the only guess I had.

I have labeled times on 3 images. The first was taken from about 50 yards to the left of the other two but the sky above and around the setting sun is clearing visible and there are no contrails. The second shows the development of the contrails and by the time of the third image there were dark lines in the sky. Am I looking at contrails or something else?







4:18 pm







4:38 pm







4:45 pm




Dec 29, 2014 at 09:53 PM
ben egbert
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Contrails??


Hard to tell on the second, but the third looks like crepuscular rays. But such rays need to be straight so that leaves out the 2nd. But there is a wavy pattern to all the clouds in that shot so it may just be a larger version of the others.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crepuscular_rays



Dec 29, 2014 at 10:38 PM
FarmerJohn
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Contrails??


Oh, that third one is cool! Maybe a crop from the bottom?
I'm also guessing crepuscular rays.



Dec 29, 2014 at 11:14 PM
Camperjim
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Contrails??


I am confused about crepuscular rays. I thought they were just the correct nomenclature for "God's rays" which are bright, not dark. Anyway all of these dark lines were straight. In addition to what appears to be wavy cloud formations, there are some straight dark lines in the sky which are visible on image #2.

I do think you are right that these are some sort of sun rays. There was a pretty stiff breeze from the north (right) that should have dispersed any long contrails. I cannot get my Photographers Ephemeris app to work, but LaGuardia airport should be pretty much in line with the sunset and about 50 miles away.



Dec 29, 2014 at 11:28 PM
RustyBug
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Contrails??


Stunning, mesmerizing and very unique ... I've never seen anything like it before.

After studying the image ... I think those are simply shadows (inverse of the crepuscular ray) being cast by slightly lower hanging clouds coming from the extremely specular/raking lighting angle ... as the cloud cover prevents the sky from providing fill ... and the change in time causes a change in angle / how well defined the shadows are being cast.

Essentially, it is an inverted shadow, since we are used to seeing a shadow being cast from above, rather than from below as it is here. Pretty cool stuff.

Edited on Dec 30, 2014 at 01:29 AM · View previous versions



Dec 30, 2014 at 12:29 AM
Camperjim
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Contrails??


I was able to use the new version of The Photographer's Ephemeris. These are not contrails from LaGuardia flights. The airport is considerably to the right of the sunset.


Dec 30, 2014 at 01:24 AM
sbeme
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Contrails??


You guys know a lot more about rays than I do. Never even heard of crepuscular rays.
But it is all a fine point.
These are beautiful images!
First has a nice color palate, is well-framed/composed, although lacking in other interest.
Second makes even better use of leading lines, repetitive elements and a feed to the sunset and circular hole in the clouds above. I love the triangular element on the left.
Third is gorgeous! Here I suppose these rays or whatever are crucial since they become a distinct, unusual and dominant element, so you have got to like them or indulge your curiousity. Colors are gorgeous in the sky and water.

I assume this is Long Island, but where?

Scott



Dec 30, 2014 at 06:23 AM
Camperjim
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Contrails??


Stony Brook Boat Works across for the Village Center


Dec 30, 2014 at 08:11 AM
FarmerJohn
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Contrails??


Inverted shadow seems like a good description. I think that is pretty much the definition of a crepuscular ray.... shadow created by something in front of the sun. Either way, third is a very cool photo.

Here's another link - http://earthsky.org/earth/crepuscular-rays-seen-from-space



Dec 30, 2014 at 09:20 AM
AuntiPode
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Contrails??


In the third, the sun was setting at a low angle. There were at least two cloud levels. The broad reflecting clouds were at a high altitude and reflected broad bright light from the sun. A few globs of cloud at a lower altitude cast shadows by blocking sunlight in swaths from reaching the higher clouds. No evidence of contrails in the lower two that I can see. There are what might be minor bits of contrail on the right in the first, but nothing to matter.


Dec 30, 2014 at 02:27 PM
AuntiPode
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Contrails??


The sun was setting, at a low angle. There were at least two cloud levels. The broad reflecting clouds were high and reflected broad bright light. A few globs of cloud at a lower level cast shadows by blocking sunlight in swaths from the higher clouds. No evidence of contrails in the lower two that I can see. There are what might be minor bits of contrail on the right in the first, but nothing to matter.

I have a suspicion the reference above may be incorrect and only the bright part is a crepuscular ray, with the dark parts the shadows that provide boundaries for the rays, but that's a minor quibble:

http://www.atoptics.co.uk/atoptics/rayform.htm



Dec 30, 2014 at 02:35 PM





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