• Bytemeister@lemmy.world
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    9 days ago

    Incorrect. The condensation you are seeing in the air is a product of combustion. If no water was added to the air, then compressing it and decompressing it would not create a cloud or vapor trail.

    Edit: Fine. It’s mostly incorrect.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrail

    Yes, the lower pressure can create a very temporary contrail, and in rare situations where the engine exhaust also cools down below freezing before it reaches ambient pressure, ice crystals can form and create a longer more visible contrails. Realistically, what you are seeing in a contrail is water vapor from combustion. Seriously, H2O and water are the largest products of combustion, and it’s like 99% of what you are seeing behind aircraft.