drumbo
08-22-06, 12:41 PM
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0608/smokeangel_usaf.jpg (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0608/smokeangel_usaf_big.jpg) A Smoke Angel from Airplane Flares
Credit: Russell E. Cooley IV, USAF (http://www.af.mil/)
Explanation: What type of cloud is that? It is not a naturally occurring (http://www.geo.mtu.edu/department/classes/ge406/tjbrabec/cloud.html) one. Looking perhaps a bit like a gigantic owl (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owl) monster, the cloud pictured above (http://www.af.mil/weekinphotos/060526-03.html) resulted from a series of flares released by an air force jet over the Atlantic Ocean (https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/zh.html) in May. The jet that released the flares, a C-17 Globemaster III (http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/c-17.htm), is seen on the right. The flares (http://www.ordnance.org/flares.htm) release smoke and the resulting pattern is sometimes known as a smoke (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke) angel. The circular eyes of the above smoke angel are caused by air spiraling off the plane's wings and are known as wingtip vortices (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wingtip_vortices).
Source (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060822.html)
Credit: Russell E. Cooley IV, USAF (http://www.af.mil/)
Explanation: What type of cloud is that? It is not a naturally occurring (http://www.geo.mtu.edu/department/classes/ge406/tjbrabec/cloud.html) one. Looking perhaps a bit like a gigantic owl (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owl) monster, the cloud pictured above (http://www.af.mil/weekinphotos/060526-03.html) resulted from a series of flares released by an air force jet over the Atlantic Ocean (https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/zh.html) in May. The jet that released the flares, a C-17 Globemaster III (http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/c-17.htm), is seen on the right. The flares (http://www.ordnance.org/flares.htm) release smoke and the resulting pattern is sometimes known as a smoke (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke) angel. The circular eyes of the above smoke angel are caused by air spiraling off the plane's wings and are known as wingtip vortices (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wingtip_vortices).
Source (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060822.html)