Astronauts from the International Space Station (NASA) have sighted a jaw-dropping view of an incredible volcano over the Pacific Ocean recently.
The unexpected blast and heavy ash spewed from Raikoke Volcano located on Kuril Islands – the group of about 56 small uninhabited islands located 1300 km northeast of Japan in the Pacific Ocean.
It was a rare sight in the morning of June 22nd, 2019 that shocked astronauts who wasted no time in taking a picture of the volcano.
The last times the volcano exploded were in 1924 and in 1778. Kuril Islands are disputed by Russia and Japan with the later claiming four of the southern islands.
When astronauts first noticed, they thought it was an atomic bomb. However, minutes later it was confirmed that Raikoke Volcano blasted its top with huge ashes after being dormant for almost a century.
Four days later, the same astronauts sighted another volcano erupting on Mt. Ulawun in the New Britain islands in Papua New Guinea with the local Governor declaring a State of Emergency.
Volcanoes around the Pacific Ring of Fire are regular to which some have been devastating.
The deadliest volcano ever recorded around the world is in Mt. Tambora, Indonesia in 1815 that claimed over 92,000 lives. The second deadliest is also recorded in Indonesia with over 35,000 lives by Mr. Krakatau volcano.
By: NASA Corespondent, ISS