MOTHER NATURE TURNS IT ON FOR THE SOLSTICE

These images of the Sarychev volcano erupting were taken by scientists on board the International Space Station, 220 miles above the earth.


A column of grey and brown ash billows up through a round hole in the cloud cover. The smooth white cloud is caused by condensed air created from the rapid rising and then cooling of the air directly above the ash column




This white cap is called a pileus cloud.


The eruption, which began a week ago, is ongoing. The ISS has been tracking the ash cloud since it is only a few handred miles from one of the world's busiest air corridors and flights have been diverted to avoid sucking the abrasive ash into aircraft engines.