This was
your sky.

Light Pillar over Erupting Etna

Can a lava flow reach into the sky? Not directly, but its light can create unusual phenomena. This image shows a volcanic light pillar above an erupting Mount Etna. Normally, light pillars are caused by sunlight or streetlights reflecting off ice crystals. Here, the red glow of the volcano's magma illuminated the ice crystals, creating this rare and dramatic column of light.