Beawiharta / Reuters

Lightning strikes as Mount Merapi volcano erupts, spewing out towering clouds of hot gas and debris, as seen from Ketep village in Magelang, Indonesia, on Nov. 6. Indonesia's Mount Merapi volcano erupted with renewed ferocity on Friday, killing another 54 people and blanketing the surrounding area with ash.

Volcanic light show

By Katie Cannon, Senior Multimedia Editor

I never tire of images of volcanic lightning, as they are one of the many reminders of how powerful and mysterious nature can be. Scientists aren't quite sure how volcanic lightning is created, though they suspect it has something to do with ash, ice and rock particles rubbing together and creating electrical charges. Read more about volcanic lightning here.

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Comment author avatarStokes Young

There are also 11 pictures of this phenomenom, the "dirty thunderstorm," at Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano in this slideshow: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36645958

    Reply#1 - Sat Nov 6, 2010 7:24 PM EDT
    Comment author avatarSBPhrog

    When Mother Nature complains she holds the stage!

      Reply#2 - Sun Nov 7, 2010 12:21 AM EDT
      Comment author avatarJust Navarre

      Totally awesome.

      Such beauty. . . from something so deadly.

        Reply#3 - Sun Nov 7, 2010 6:38 AM EST
        Comment author avatarwisma bhayu

        Earth, the only one we've got

          Reply#4 - Mon Nov 8, 2010 1:01 AM EST
          Comment author avatarwisma bhayu

          Earth, the only one we've got

            Reply#5 - Mon Nov 8, 2010 1:05 AM EST
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