An image of vapour trails left in the sky by aeroplanes has been shared on Facebook alongside a caption claiming these are “chemtrails” that are blocking the sun.
This isn’t true. These white lines are contrails, trails of vapour left behind by planes.
The image shows the roofs of what appear to be terraced houses or businesses, alongside a blue sky. A number of white trails are visible in the sky, some crossing each other, with some appearing to be in front of the sun.
It was posted with the caption: “Bill gates + Chemtrails = block the sun”.
We’ve written many times about “chemtrails”, a false but enduring conspiracy theory that typically claims these white lines are evidence of a plot to control the weather or spread poison by spraying chemicals from aircraft.
However, the white trails of vapour left behind by planes are actually contrails, or condensation trails. These are formed when water vapour produced by aeroplane engines freezes due to high altitude, creating long, thin lines of cloud.
Some contrails become invisible quickly, if they change from a solid to a gas and disappear. Others can remain in a solid, frozen state and are visible for hours. The speed at which this process occurs depends on the humidity of the air.
