What did I see ?

[Gargamel]

It's probably easil explained, but what is it ?

I was on Swiss Air Zurich to London, about 3:00pm uk time (so 3:30 depart Zurich)

This thing was with us for at least twenty minutes, despite the cloud base moving up and down, I never saw the mothership cause of it, kept pace with us, and left a long dark straight trail in the cloud.

All theories welcome, I have another pic I will post

[Zad]

It's a shadow/reflection of your own plane in the cloud below you. The halo is the point in line with you / the sun / the cloud.

[Gargamel]

I have some others, but only a BB so all low res, after I first saw it the plane made a minor course correction and obscured it a little closer to the wing, however it remained with us for quite a while.

Edited by Gargamel on Friday 7th January 22:17

[eharding]

Gargamel said:

It's probably easil explained, but what is it ?

I was on Swiss Air Zurich to London, about 3:00pm uk time (so 3:30 depart Zurich)

This thing was with us for at least twenty minutes, despite the cloud base moving up and down, I never saw the mothership cause of it, kept pace with us, and left a long dark straight trail in the cloud.

All theories welcome, I have another pic I will post

Shadow of the aircraft you were on plus the vapour trail.

Aircraft shadows on clouds do look a little odd.

[db]

you saw the shadow of your aircraft.
the sun is obviously on your left and slightly higher (wing in shade, wing tip in sunlight) the shadow was always there but only visible on the clouds.
can't remember what the halo effect (on the airframe) is called, or why it happens. i'm sure someone more knowledgeable and sober will (re)educate

edited to add
a quick google produced this

http://www.polarization.com/rainbow/rainbow2.html

see "The Specter of the Brocken"

Edited by db on Friday 7th January 22:24

Edited by db on Friday 7th January 22:24

[Gargamel]

Zad said:

It's a shadow/reflection of your own plane in the cloud below you. The halo is the point in line with you / the sun / the cloud.

Ha, that's what they WANT you to think....


I did wonder about whether it was the shadow, but the halo effect was really pronounced at times, so I figured it was some kind of cloaking device malfunctioning in the vapour

Edited by Gargamel on Friday 7th January 22:20

[Gargamel]

[Zad]

Gargamel said:

Zad said:

It's a shadow/reflection of your own plane in the cloud below you. The halo is the point in line with you / the sun / the cloud.

Ha, that's what they WANT you to think....


I did wonder about whether it was the shadow, but the halo effect was really pronounced at times, so I figured it was some kind of cloaking device malfunctioning in the vapour

Yes, obviously.

Nothing to do with elementary physics whatsoever.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brocken_spectre
http://www.touchingthelight.co.uk/features/brocken...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14023865@N06/26586897...

[Semi hemi]

Gargamel said:

Zad said:

It's a shadow/reflection of your own plane in the cloud below you. The halo is the point in line with you / the sun / the cloud.

Ha, that's what they WANT you to think....


I did wonder about whether it was the shadow, but the halo effect was really pronounced at times, so I figured it was some kind of cloaking device malfunctioning in the vapour

you are quite right and here is a pic of the pilot

[Simpo Two]

The shadow is easy to understand but I'm not quite figuring the halo. Of course it's caused by light diffracted by water droplets like a rainbow but why is it a halo round the viewer's head?

[Semi hemi]

Simpo Two said:

The shadow is easy to understand but I'm not quite figuring the halo. Of course it's caused by light diffracted by water droplets like a rainbow but why is it a halo round the viewer's head?

In my photograph above, the halo is around the head because that is where the camera/Point of View was when I took it . in the image below the picture of the 2 figures was taken by the person on the right so though the halo encirles the figures it is centred on the person who took it.


edited to fix bust link

Edited by Semi hemi on Saturday 8th January 20:47

[Zad]

Exactly the same reason that a conventional rainbow is centred around the point opposite the sun. Where else could it be centred around?

[bluesatin]

It is the BA flight following you!

[sirtyro]

its iron man going into supersonic flight

[Simpo Two]

Semi hemi said:

in the image below

Always check your photo appears before logging out

[Flintstone]

Without doubt the shadow of the aircraft you were on. Seen this many, many times.

[Simpo Two]

Nothing showing for me, though I could see the link by clicking Quote.



Noe that's odd. I copy/pasted your path into the browser and there was the photo. So I copied it back into this post with the pic tags and it appeared. And then so did yours! And you haven't sneakily edited your post in the meantime unless you have advanced mod rights...

I would still expect the halo to be on the bisection of the angle unless the viewer is in direct line, so will have to admit I've reached the end of my comprehension.

Edited by Simpo Two on Saturday 8th January 20:21

[Semi hemi]

Simpo Two said:

Nothing showing for me, though I could see the link by clicking Quote.

Mmm, odd. mind you it did display on my screen with a red edge as opposed to the Blue edge that is the norm.
ok used the thumbsnap upload so it should be here now

[Gargamel]

Nice pics, Something I have never seen before, so thanks all. Especially Zad for an amazingly condescending and humourless post.

As mentioned in my first line, I was sure is had a simple explaination, and did wonder about shadows, I have seen circular rainbows from the plane window before, bu never the trail through the clouds in such a pronounced way.

[Zad]

Gargamel said:

Nice pics, Something I have never seen before, so thanks all. Especially Zad for an amazingly condescending and humourless post.

My pleasure