Sometimes, if conditions are just right, you might see a shadow cast by a contrail. Richard Hasbrouck in Rinconada in northern New Mexico captured not one but two contrail shadows in this 2005 image. We don’t typically publish images from so long ago, but this one is really special. Richard wrote:
Looking up I saw two, sunset-illuminated contrails crossing, with one having a very unusual twisted shape. As a bonus, there was the waxing crescent moon and Venus. It was only after processing that I saw the shadows cast by both contrails.
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.
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