Any idea what these cloud circles are?
Jul 20, 2017 15:18:12 #
I took this image Monday flying from NYC to NC, at about 8000 ft. Any idea what those 3 circles at the bottom of the large cloud could be?
Jul 20, 2017 15:22:01 #
I'm not a professional, but I have seen some random clouds take on this shape. Like a smoke ring. Just saying. :)
Jul 20, 2017 15:27:00 #
Rising hotter air assumes a rotating form due to the Corilis effect. When it gets big enough you have a tornado.
Jul 20, 2017 15:32:32 #
Jul 20, 2017 15:37:45 #
If you look a little lower and to the darker area you can see a couple of more not as noticeable. One seems to be rising from the cloud mass below it
Jul 20, 2017 16:02:30 #
Wrong kind of cloud for rotation like a tornado. Little in nature is this perfect as a circle. If I had to guess, I would say an artifact caused by the window and/or the lens.
Jul 20, 2017 16:04:16 #
Jul 20, 2017 16:06:18 #
Jul 20, 2017 16:19:38 #
Jul 20, 2017 16:21:07 #
Jul 20, 2017 17:02:59 #
When cumulus clouds are white and puffy, that usually means it's not going to rain right away. Unless they turn black.
Light refracting
Light refracting
Jul 20, 2017 17:10:02 #
Windows in aircraft are multi-layered, similar to what is known as Thermo-Pane in household windows. The material is probably of the type of Safety-Glass such of the types use in automobiles. Perhaps, nowadays, the windows themselves are made of some types of shatter/impact/bulletproof plastics such as Plexiglas or Lexan. All of theses special material are made with plastics know as polymers which can cause various optical issues, reflections and zonal aberrations such as those little rings. The more surfaces, the more potential for theses things to appear. Sometimes windows made on layered or laminated sections develop Newton's rings created by the reflection of light between theses surfaces. Certain molds can also form between the layers due to moisture or condensation. Those little viable rings are not the Newton's rings that I mentioned but are possibly cause by there various interferences cause by the aforementioned issues or some, unknown to me, interaction between your camera's lens and the window materials.
On the other side of the argument- In my experience, most of the possible causes I mentioned would not necessarily show up in sharp focus but rather simply cause a general softening or degrading of the image sharpness. So- it could be that those little guys are some kind of particle or other airborne phenomenon.
Old military areal photographer here. We did our low level recon work with the doors off or in aircraft equipped with special ports or outboard cameras. Of course in commercial airliners and high altitudes you gotta photograph through the glass- it ain't optical quality but your image is nice enough. AT 32,000 feet, they ain't openin' the doors any time soon!
On the other side of the argument- In my experience, most of the possible causes I mentioned would not necessarily show up in sharp focus but rather simply cause a general softening or degrading of the image sharpness. So- it could be that those little guys are some kind of particle or other airborne phenomenon.
Old military areal photographer here. We did our low level recon work with the doors off or in aircraft equipped with special ports or outboard cameras. Of course in commercial airliners and high altitudes you gotta photograph through the glass- it ain't optical quality but your image is nice enough. AT 32,000 feet, they ain't openin' the doors any time soon!
Jul 20, 2017 17:11:18 #
Jul 20, 2017 17:14:11 #
Jul 20, 2017 17:24:40 #
This is a vent between the panes in the plane window for pressure equalization.
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