Contrail or... what? (Kitchener/Waterloo)

Found this interesting bit in the local news this morning and don't quite know what to make of it:

“At first, I thought it was a plane’s contrail catching the setting sun, but it was moving too slowly … and it looked to be heading straight down,” she wrote in an email.
The object appeared to hang in the air for about 15 to 20 minutes before falling out of view.
Mike Hudson, an astronomy professor at the University of Waterloo, says the object could have been a fallen piece of an airplane or satellite, but more likely was a plane taking an eccentric path through the air.


Read more: kitchener.ctvnews.ca...

It seems very much like a normal contrail until you check out the object itself. The shape is wrong for a jet and I'm wondering if it is space debris instead. Perhaps an ATS specialist can enhance that photo for more detail.

It's heading away from the viewer, not down, it's a plane making a contrail in the sunset as first said.

Contrail at sunset/rise.

you thought it was a UFO?

My first reaction was that, yes, this is just a normal contrail, much like the ones I see every sunset or dawn. Where this picture was taken is right where I live and the Toronto, London and Cambridge airports surround me on three sides.

The problem with it is the unusual shape of the object making the 'contrail'. It's just a bit 'off', making me think it's more like falling space debris.

BTW... if you click on the link in the OP... there's a video which better shows the irregularity of the object.

reply to post by masqua


As said, a sunlit contrail.

An image search for sunlit contrail will yield similar looking images.

reply to post by AlphaHawk


Yes... that's what I initially thought as well. No doubt at all in the first look. Then I read the story supplied in the OP.

Contrails at sunset are a normal phenomena here, since we're surrounded by airports, so what is it about the witnesses that made them think it was something other than a normal contrail?

Originally posted by masqua
reply to post by AlphaHawk

 

Yes... that's what I initially thought as well. No doubt at all in the first look. Then I read the story supplied in the OP.

Contrails at sunset are a normal phenomena here, since we're surrounded by airports, so what is it about the witnesses that made them think it was something other than a normal contrail?

Probably because she wrongly thought that the plane was heading downwards when in reality it was heading away from her. It would explain the length of time it seemed to be in the air and the apparent 'speed' it was moving. A common mistake from people.

“At first, I thought it was a plane’s contrail catching the setting sun, but it was moving too slowly … and it looked to be heading straight down,” she wrote in an email.

Heres some more..

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Source : contrails science.

reply to post by masqua


It's just a contrail that looks weird. Here are some more examples:

www.thelivingmoon.com...

This one doesn't quite match up, but it's really cool.
metabunk.org...


Completely ignoring the write up on this one, this matches quite nicely, and was seen around sunset.
www.ufocusnz.org.nz...

Since no aircraft have been reported 'breaking up' in mid-air, or no satellites have been announced as due to fall to Earth, we can discount those theories right away.

The only likely explanation is an aircraft flying away from the observer, or meteor, or UFO (as in classic ufo or black ops test aircraft of some sort).

But while the trail looks like a normal trail lit by the setting sun, the 'aircraft; itself doesn't look like an ordinary aircraft.

reply to post by MysterX


The sun reflecting off the plane makes it look weird. I see that a lot around sunrise and sunset when I'm driving. The reflection can make it look much bigger than it really is, and create weird shapes.

I saw this on Monday night around sunset, i think it was around 7:30 pm. Now I am 131. km from where this was taken, i do not think i would see a contrail from Kitchener 131 km away? I do recall seeing a plane go over prior to seeing this, but I turned away for a few minutes and when I looked back to where the plane was heading I saw this trail . It looked different than a contrail as it had the orange tinge to it and did not dissipate or alter its shape at all or as long as i observed it. approx 5 or so minutes. Not sure why this hung in the sky so long, I believe it was in the Northwest sky, and what I saw looked exactly as the picture. I only have an iphone so didn't take a picture of it as I have seen a lot of strange things in the sky lately and just thought, that's odd.

reply to post by whatnext21


Persistent contrails can stay for several minutes, up to several hours, and can even spread out to become cloud cover under the right conditions. They're usually an indicator of a front moving in.

reply to post by Zaphod58


There was no front, clear as a bell for the last 3 days. I saw the exact same thing in the same direction just hanging in the sky. Please look at the comments below the report

reply to post by whatnext21


Persistent contrails "usually" are ahead of a front. They don't always have to be, but that's the most common time to find them.

reply to post by Zaphod58


As a matter of fact, there is a cold from coming down from the NW. It should be driving our presently hot, muggy weather out by early tomorrow, which makes it 36 hours (approximately) from when this contrail was spotted in the north from Waterloo.

reply to post by masqua


That's about right. I've heard of persistent contrails ahead of fronts between 24 and 72 hours at the most. Usually the front is closer though when you get persistent contrails hanging around.

I have yet to see any alien spacecraft leave a trail behind itself when flying around....they are traceless ships!

reply to post by PhoenixOD


You solved your own thread....*claps hands together*

reply to post by Skywatcher2011


This isnt my thread