Satellite Image of the Day: October 11, 2004
 (click here for previous images of the day from RUSMART)

NOAA's Hydrometeorologial Prediction Center (HPC) "Daily National Forecast" image shows a daily national weather prediction

Satellites: NOAA-15 and NOAA-17, part of NOAA's 850km-high (530 mile-high) Polar Orbiting satellites

 Jet contrails reveal themselves in infrared light
 The huge number of jet flights across the upper midwest is striking.
The exhaust of jet engines contains water vapor as well as particulates that causes condensation from the surrounding atmosphere.
In this image, the locations of jet contrails show up as dark, drier areas since the forced condensation has pulled moisture out of the local air.
Thus jets leave trails in their wake containing neighboring areas of both high and low water vapor content.
Click on the image below for a higher-resolution (~150k) version.