Mount Etna provided a dazzling spectacle as it spewed a fountain of lava in another volcanic eruption in the early hours of yesterday morning.
It is the second eruption in the space of 10 days, after the Sicilian volcano erupted on 13 December in an event preceded by a magnitude 2.7 earthquake.
Pictured by volcanologist Boris Behncke, who is studying Etna, the volcano is seen from the village of Tremestieri Etneo which lies to its south.
Italian news agency ANSA reported a series of eruptions in three different craters of the volcano over the past two days.
The explosions did not create any risks to the area, but they did provide a spectacular show – as this video feature by Euronews shows.
Standing at 10,922 feet tall, Etna covers an area of 459 square miles with five different craters. It is the largest of Italy’s three active volcanoes – with Stromboli and Mount Vesuvius being the other two active volcanoes.
More than 500,000 people live around the base of Mount Etna which has history of violent eruptions and is one of the most active volcanoes on earth.
The volcano can sometimes be seen from Malta, and it is popular with hikers and nature lovers eager to get a view of the volcano and its surroundings.