Posted on 11/18/2010 5:04:59 AM PST by justlurking
When an impressive contrail was spotted off the California coast last week, it sparked widespread reports of a mystery missile launch in the area – a theory the Pentagon squashed after initial investigations. But, the odd contrail fooled more than the public and media, and was even seen from space.
[...]
Later, he learned that fellow NASA scientist Doug Spangenberg had pieced together a photo of the mystery contrail from space after sifting through weather satellite images.
[...]
With the help of other Langley researchers, Minnis also learned that on Nov. 9, conditions were "ripe" for persistent contrails over the Pacific west of Los Angeles, but that the contrails would only survive for a short time closer to the coast.
"As it turns out, the high clouds seen in the background of the video were actually behind the contrail because the plane had flown north of the clouds, and changed course to the northeast, so that the clouds were behind the contrail as viewed from Catalina Island," Minnis said. "All of that information changed my mind."
Based on his research, Minnis said he can't definitively prove that the contrail came from an airplane. But, it is the "most likely" scenario given the data.
"Later, while viewing some blogs, I found that the contrail corresponded remarkably well with flight AWE808, which flew from Hawaii to Phoenix; it showed the change in course to the northeast at the same location, further confirming my conclusion."
(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...
Title is:
What I find strange about the photo, is that there is only one contrail. There are between two and ten in the sky over L. A. at any given time on days when they are prevalent.
If that’s truly a contrail, it would seem others should show up. I don’t see any others.
I find this hard to believe. A plane does not go straight up like this did.
When a plane flies straight at you at a high altitude, the contrail looks like it goes straight up. Due to the curvature of the earth, it appears to originate at the horizon.
Don't believe me? Stretch a string across your backyard, from the ground on one side, to the top of a tree or fence on the other side. Sit on the ground right underneath the high side of the string, and look at the low end of the string.
I do not have time to read the entire article I apologize if this was answered.
If it was a plane then why couldn’t it immediately muchless at all; be identified?
The "up" or "down" is an optical illusion. The Earth curves into the horizon, and so does perspective. This effect is magnified by being over the ocean. As a plane is receding from your view will seem to go "down" as it follows the curve of the earth over the horizon. As a plane comes toward you, from over the horizon, the opposite happens and it seems to go "up" from your point of view. These phenomena are really common. I live here along the Gulf Coast and we have Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field, Tyndal AFB and the Pensacola NAS nearby, not to mention hundreds of commercial flights going over. At any time day or night you can most likely see one of these types of phenomena........................
Because NORAD has better things to do than investigate every contrail.
Not to mention I saw a flame tip in the video. Airliners do not have a glow emitting from their engines. It had to be a missile or a fighter jet in afterburner.
The next time some one tries to end all discussion with what some expert says, some should consider when some one is so credentialed, so experienced, so certain and yet so wrong, either their qualifications mean nothing relevant to the discussion, or they are liars.
This contrail caused such a commotion because of a variety of factors. One was that it was flying through atmospheric conditions that allowed it to produce that uncommon billowy exhaust plume.
Only a plane flying through the atmosphere at that exact altitude would have been subject to those atmospheric conditions and producing such a heavy contrail that it would show up in a satellite image.
Because people were looking for big rockets, not airplanes. The FAA and the miltary were asked about rockets and missiles, not about airliners.
Had people asked what airliner that was making that contrail, they would have been told immediately.
Flight Tracker would have told them instantly what airline, flgiht number, type of plane, flight path, etc.
And there was also this ‘expert’ that was thrown in our face time after time:
But Doug Richardson, the editor of Jane’s Missiles and Rockets, examined the video for the Times of London and said he was left with little doubt.
“It’s a solid propellant missile,” he told the Times. “You can tell from the efflux [smoke].”
Richardson said it could have been a ballistic missile launched from a submarine or an interceptor, the defensive anti-missile weapon used by Navy surface ships.
The Earth is not flat ~
Well, I think you saw sunlight reflecting off pure white ice crystals as they formed...
I know I’ve seen it hundreds of times.
I think I must have forgotten to change the original search from "keywords" (the default) to "title".
Thanks for the reminder.
This is why “argument from authority” is one of the logical fallacies.
He’s not an expert in contrails. He’s not a rocket scientist either. Guy has been writing professional for 34 years since he left off installing radios and such.
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