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Peter Lowenstein
Mutare, Zimbabwe
02/06/2024
06:53 pm

Equipment Details:

Hand-held Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS40

Post-processing Details:

Compilation of montage of nine photographs of volcanic sunsets taken between 2nd and 10th of February.

Image Details:

Nine Volcanic Sunsets 2-10 February 2024.
Almost clear skies in the evenings since the beginning of February have resulted in nine consecutive volcanic sunsets being visible from Mutare due to the reappearance of stratospheric aerosols from the 15th January 2022 eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai Volcano. This is after an almost complete pause of one month since the beginning of the year. It is amazing that twenty-four months after the volcanic eruption there should still be sufficiently dense patchy concentrations of stratospheric aerosols to produce such pronounced atmospheric optical displays. These include volcanic sunset twilight arches, anticrepuscular and crepuscular rays and, on Feb 10th, a volcanic sunrise. I am wondering if any other photographic records exist of such persistent atmospheric after effects from an eruption? What is even more extraordinary is that this is happening during what should be the wettest month of a rainy season! Relevant news ? at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwqvwpDRFhs