Moon Over Mount Etna South East Crater

From the photographer: “In February 2021, Etna showed intense volcanic activity characterized by 6 paroxysmal episodes that poured ash columns and lava fountains even more than 500 meters high. The episodes were mostly located near the new south-east crater which poured numerous lava flows into the Bove Valley. The episodes were characterized by a short duration but accompanied by intense activity that fractured the structure of the crater from which the flows poured. On the night between the 24th and the 25th, Mount Etna again showed an intense activity and for this reason I decided to place myself at the “Piano Bello” refuge, calculating the exact position so that the moon would set near the crater, aligning itself just above. Volcanic clouds and hot currents have given the Moon a liquid appearance tinged with a warm coloring due to both glow and ash. The final shot shows the drama of the scene enhanced by the presence of volcanic clouds and the crescent moon at 94% illumination, by the crack of the south-east crater and by the flow that flows from its crater rim.”

Technical info: a composite of two exposures. Canon 6d, sigma 150-600, iso 800, f/5.6, 5sec for the landscape and iso 100, 1/125 sec for the Moon