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Mount Etna eruption: The southern Italian volcano, Mount Etna, erupted on Tuesday night, giving light to the night sky.
Mount Etna in Italy erupted in a spectacular fashion on Tuesday, illuminating the night sky, according to video footage posted online.
The volcano, located on the southern island of Sicily, sent a plume of ash and smoke into the sky, according to the Telegraph newspaper, citing Italy’s Civil Protection agency.
There are several uninhabited villages on the volcano, but no reports of injuries emerged.
The mountain sometimes erupts, forcing planes to divert traffic around its plume of ash and smoke. But that did not happen this time around, according to the BBC. Some roads nearby were covered with “volcanic stones,” the broadcaster said.
Etna experienced activity starting Feb. 20, according to Volcano World, citing data from the Osservatorio Etneo.
[Related: Dormant New Zealand Volcano Erupts, Spews Ash]
The Italian mountain is one of around 1,500 estimated volcanoes that are active around the world, according to Volcano World.
Etna, the highest mountain in Italy south of the Alps, is located on the eastern portion of Sicily near Messina and Catania. The peak’s elevation is 10,991 feet.
The Roman poet Virgil, who lived from 70 BC to 19 BC, gave a likely first-hand observation of the mountain’s eruption. In his work the “Aeneid,” he said the volcano is is capable of “shooting out globes of flame, with monster tongues.”
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