Volcanoes and Auroras

Kristinn R. Kristinsson took this picture from a glacier overlooking Iceland's active Eyjafjallajökull volcano,  during one of its 2010 eruptions

Sometimes both heaven and Earth erupt: In Iceland  in 1991, the volcano Hekla erupted at the same time that auroras  were visible overhead (picture below). Hekla, one of the most famous volcanoes in the world, has erupted at least 20 times over the past millennium, sometimes causing great destruction. The last eruption occurred only two years ago but caused only minor damage. The green auroral band occurred fortuitously about 100 kilometers above the erupting lava.

Astronomy Picture of the Day, 29 January 2006

Picture by Sigurdur H. Stefnisson