Did you know that contrails can cast shadows? Fern Zalin Jones wrote with a question about contrail shadows, which you can see in the images both above and below. While we were emailing, Fern happened to attach the image above, showing her ascent of a dune at Kelso Dunes, and she mentioned that these are “singing” or “booming” dunes. According to Wikipedia:
Enthusiasts sometimes climb to the top of the dunes and slide down slowly, generating a low-frequency rumble that can be both felt and heard.
So … two interesting natural phenomena in one photo. Fern wrote:
I love that you can see the shadow of the contrail on the cloud. The 1.5-mile hike up to the top of the dune was a slog, but worth every arduous step because the dunes ‘sang’ (really!) with each step on the way down.
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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