Huge passenger jet makes plane sailing of brightening up the skies over South London with a spectacular and ‘rare’ rainbow trail

A HUGE passenger jet makes plane sailing of brightening up the skies with a spectacular rainbow trail.

The Airbus A380 was spotted over south London today throwing the incredible colours as it came to land at Heathrow.

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Its potential 800 passengers could have little idea of the incredible sight behind them which was only viewable from the ground.

The effect is caused by a freak set of circumstances, involving water, light and even crystals.

They are known as contrails and happen when planes fly above 25,000 feet in the air.

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Water vapour condenses in the -86F temperatures around particles in the plane’s exhaust making ice crystals.

This in itself forms the well-known white streaks often seen in the sky behind jets.

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But if the sun is shining near enough and at the correct angle a new phenomenon occurs.

The rays of light refract in the crystals to create rainbow trails behind the wings.