Satellite spies an erupting volcano | Space photo of the day for March 13, 2026

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clouds float above a green landscape, in the center of which is a tall cone-shaped mountain with a bright red circle at its peak

Mayon volcano eruption captured on Feb. 26, 2026. (Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory image by Michala Garrison, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey)

A new satellite image has captured a rare view of an erupting volcano, revealing its bright red lava flow as seen from space.

What is it?

This image taken by NASA's Landsat 8 satellite captures lava, ash, and gases flowing from Mayon, the most active volcano in the Philippines, on Feb. 26, 2026. Mayon is found on Luzon, the nation's largest island, and rises over 8,000 feet (2,400 meters) above sea level.

Mayon began erupting in January 2026 when clouds of hot ash and flows of lava began pouring from the volcano's crater. The eruption has displaced hundreds of families in surrounding areas, according to NASA.

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Previous eruptions have caused massive damage and fatalities. An eruption in 1993 killed at least 77 people, according to the Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program.

Why is it amazing?

This image is a rare natural color glimpse into the eye of a volcano mid-eruption.

Bright red lava flows stand out starkly against the vivid green vegetation of the surrounding landscape, made more vibrant by combining visible light observations with infrared imagery.

The Operational Land Imager (OLI) instrument on Landsat 8 can capture light in both visible and near-infrared bands, enabling it to reveal features and events on Earth's surface that would otherwise be difficult to see from ground level.

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Brett TingleyManaging Editor, Space.com

Brett is curious about emerging aerospace technologies, alternative launch concepts, military space developments and uncrewed aircraft systems. Brett's work has appeared on Scientific American, The War Zone, Popular Science, the History Channel, Science Discovery and more. Brett has degrees from Clemson University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In his free time, Brett enjoys skywatching throughout the dark skies of the Appalachian mountains.

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