WATCH: Jaw-dropping video of Boeing flying in RARE contrail cloud sparks conspiracy fears
VIDEO has captured a Boeing plane surrounded by a contrail, an extremely rare cloud of vapour formed in the wake of an aircraft.
Pilot captures mesmerising contrails of Boeing 787 Dreamliner
The incredible footage was shot by pilot Lou Boyer from the cockpit of a passing Boeing 747 over eastern Russia.
Video showed the Boeing 787 Dreamliner cruising along through the air, completely enveloped by a thick white cloud that left a billowing trail in its wake.
Called a contrail, the cloud is a rare phenomenon formed by water vapour when it condenses and freezes around aerosols (small particles) from the plane’s exhaust.
But the impressive video has sparked immediate conspiracy theories, with some sceptics suggesting the contrail is in fact a ‘chemtrail’.
Video of a Boeing leaving a contrail has sparked conspiracy theories
It has developed a strong following since it was first borne in the nineties and counts late pop legend Prince and movie legend Chuck Norris among its high-profile advocates.
US government agencies have reported many calls from the public in the past, who have demanded answers over the existence of contrail clouds.
While many conspiracy theorists agree on the chemtrail coverup, they differ in their explanations for why it might exist.
Video shows the Boeing 787 Dreamliner leaving a thick contrail cloud in its wake
The combination of high relative humidity and a nice sunrise gave this contrail a nice deep colour
From attempts to reign in global warming, to human population or mind control, military weapons testing and even a danger to public health, there is no shortage of speculation over the clouds’ existence.
But governments and scientists have strongly dismissed the conspiracy theories, insisting contrails are a normal, albeit rare, part of the flying process.
Pilot Lou Boyer said: “The combination of high relative humidity and a nice sunrise gave this contrail a nice deep colour as the contrail created its own shadow.”
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reissued a 2000 report in 2015 to clarify the phenomenon.
Video: The Boeing's contrail has prompted theories the cloud is really a 'chemtrail'
It said: “Aircraft engines emit water vapour, carbon dioxide, small amounts of nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, sulfur gases, and soot and metal particles, formed by the high-temperature combustion of jet fuel, during flight. Of these emittants, only water vapour is necessary for contrail formation.
“Persistent contrails can last for hours while growing to several kilometres in width and 200 to 400 meters in height.
“Contrails spread because of air turbulence created by the passage of aircraft, differences in wind speed along the flight track, and possibly through effects of solar heating.”
The report insisted contrails pose no threat to public health but did concede they might contribute to “human-induced climate change”.