International Space Station Photographs Cleveland Volcano Eruption

International Space Station astronaut Jeffrey Williams was first to report a recent eruption of the Cleveland Volcano on Tuesday, May 23 and provided the first photographs of the event. The Cleveland Volcano lies along the Aleutian Islands volcanic chain southwest of mainland Alaska. Williams' photograph from space shows the ash plume moving west-southwest from the summit of the volcano. The Cleveland Volcano is not seismically monitored by the Alaska Volcano Observatory, and so its eruption would not have been immediately detected without the ISS observation system. According to NASA, "This is the first early sighting of a new eruption in recent years. Williams edged out the nearest satellite by approximately seven minutes to capture the image."