Lenticular Clouds over Mount Etna

What's happening above that volcano? Although Mount Etna is seen erupting, the clouds are not related to the eruption . They are lenticular clouds formed when moist air is forced upwards near a mountain or volcano . The surreal scene was captured by chance late last month when the astrophotographer went to Mount Etna, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Sicily , Italy , to photograph the conjunction between the Moon and the star Aldebaran . The Moon appears in a bright crescent phase , illuminating an edge of the lower lenticular cloud. Red hot lava flows on the right. Besides some breathtaking stills, a companion time-lapse video of the scene shows the lenticular clouds forming and wavering as stars trail far in the distance. Follow APOD in English on: Instagram , Facebook , Reddit , or Twitter