By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 21:13 EST, 17 June 2012 | UPDATED: 03:11 EST, 18 June 2012

Like a giant game of crosses without the naughts, these incredible jet engine trails can be seen criss-crossing the Atlantic from space.

NASA's Terra satellite captured these two amazing images of aircraft trails, or 'contrails' as they are known, spreading across the sky off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

The spectacular effect forms in the wake of passing aircraft due to the extra particles and water vapor contained in their exhaust.

NASA said these it has observed these clusters of contrails lasting as long as 14 hours, though most get a shorter lifespan of four to six hours.

Jet trails: NASA's satellite captured the jet trails, pictured, criss-crossing the Atlantic on May 26

These photographs, taken over two hours on May 26, capture contrails that were likely caused by commercial aircraft flying west to North America from the UK and Europe.

The contrails are arrayed in X-shaped patterns and a cirrus cloud is visible to the left of both images.

The airplane signatures with distinct edges are visible in the first, older image, but two hours later have grown wispier and spread outward as winds have blown them south and east.

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NASA satellite images capture commercial jet engine trails from space