Late on August 6, 2012, New Zealand’s Mount Tongariro erupted
for the first time in 115 years, spewing a cloud of ash over
North Island, closing roads, and cancelling domestic flights. A
new satellite equipped with low-light imaging technology was
able to capture the event in the dark of night, just an hour
after it began. According to scientists, this is Mount
Tongariro’s first eruption since 1897. The volcano lies in a
mostly undeveloped part of the country, and no injuries were
reported. The 1,978-meter (6,490 foot) peak is a popular spot
for hikers and is right next to Mount Ngauruhoe, the stand-in
for Mount Doom in the Lord of the Rings movies. Both Tongariro
and Ngauruhoe are part of the “circum-Pacific seismic belt” or
“Ring of Fire” region known for its seismic activity and
volcanism. The image shows Mount Tongariro as it appeared at
12:55 a.m. New Zealand time on August 7, 2012 (12:55 p.m.
Universal Time on August 6). The image was acquired by the
Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on