The Milky Way Over the Peak of the Furnace

On Reunion Island , it is known simply as “The Volcano.” To others, it is known as the Piton de la Fournaise , which is French for the Peak of the Furnace. It is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. The Volcano started a new eruption last month by spewing hot lava bombs as high as 10 meters into the air from several vents. Pictured above , the recent eruption was caught before a star filled southern sky, appearing somehow contained beneath the arching band of our Milky Way Galaxy . Also visible in the background sky is the Pleiades open star cluster , the constellation of Orion , the brightest star Sirius , and the neighboring Large and Small Magellanic Cloud galaxies . (Can you find them ?) The Piton de la Fournaise erupted for months in 2006, and for days in 2007, 2008, and in January of 2010 . Nobody knows how long the current eruption will last, or when The Volcano will erupt next.