Astronauts on the International Space Station caught the consequences of the massive volcanic eruption that tore up a little island in the Pacific Ocean and sent tons of ash into the atmosphere on Saturday (Jan. 15). A number of weather satellites recorded the eruption as it occurred, revealing the enormous cloud resembling a nuclear explosion that swallowed up the whole Polynesian Kingdom of Tonga instantly after the blast. The volcanic ash stimulated by the blast was later on discovered at elevations of up to 24 miles (39 kilometers), supplying a frightening spectacle to astronauts aboard the orbital station. Related: 10 incredible volcanoes in our solar systemNASA astronaut Kayla Barron caught 4 photos of the ash plumes as the station passed over New Zealand, some 1,200 miles (2,000 km) south of the volcano, on Sunday (Jan. 16), one day after the eruption. The photos show dark skies above Earth blanketed by thick ash clouds. ” Ash from Saturdays undersea volcanic eruption in the remote Pacific country of Tonga made its way thousands of feet into the atmosphere & & was noticeable from @Space_Station. Throughout a pass over New Zealand on Sunday, Kayla Barron opened the window & & saw the effects of the eruption,” NASA said in a Tweet. The eruption of the undersea volcano destroyed the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha apai island, which was fortunately uninhabited. The tsunami triggered by the eruption, nevertheless, caused substantial damage to the surrounding islands of the remote kingdom, which straddles the tectonically active border between the Pacific and Australian plates. Image 1 of 3Volcanic ash above the Pacific Ocean after the eruption of the Hunga Tonga volcano in January 2022 seen from the International Space Station. (Image credit: NASA) Image 2 of 3Volcanic ash above the Pacific Ocean after the eruption of the Hunga Tonga volcano in January 2022 seen from the International Space Station. (Image credit: NASA) Image 3 of 3Volcanic ash above the Pacific Ocean after the eruption of the Hunga Tonga volcano in January 2022 seen from the International Space Station. (Image credit: NASA) The volcano was revealing indications of magnifying activity over the preceding weeks, having already appeared in December. That eruption, however, was seven times less powerful. Volcanologists said the Saturday blast was the most powerful volcanic eruption Earth experienced because that of Mount Pinatubo in the Philipines in 1991. Satellites run by Maxar Technologies recorded the devastation brought on by the tsunamis and ashfall after the eruption on the surrounding islands, including the Kingdom of Tongas primary island Tongatapu. Catastrophe mitigation teams are still examining the damage as the tsunami disrupted communication networks in the region.The tsunami activated by the eruption reached way beyond Polynesia. Alerts were in location for parts of the Pacific coast of both Americas, the reasonably neighboring New Zealand as well as Japan. While those advisories have considering that been lifted, regional authorities cautioned even more eruptions of the volcano may take place, along with subsequent tsunamis. Follow Samantha Mathewson @Sam_Ashley13. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
Related: 10 extraordinary volcanoes in our solar systemNASA astronaut Kayla Barron caught four photos of the ash plumes as the station passed over New Zealand, some 1,200 miles (2,000 km) south of the volcano, on Sunday (Jan. 16), one day after the eruption. Image 1 of 3Volcanic ash above the Pacific Ocean after the eruption of the Hunga Tonga volcano in January 2022 seen from the International Space Station. (Image credit: NASA) Image 2 of 3Volcanic ash above the Pacific Ocean after the eruption of the Hunga Tonga volcano in January 2022 seen from the International Space Station. (Image credit: NASA) Image 3 of 3Volcanic ash above the Pacific Ocean after the eruption of the Hunga Tonga volcano in January 2022 seen from the International Space Station.