Vesuvius glimpsed from space as astronaut captures volcano from ISS

Sophie Adenot, a European Space Agency astronaut currently aboard the International Space Station as part of SpaceX's Crew-12 mission, has photographed Mount Vesuvius and Mount Etna from orbit. According to Space.com, the image captures both volcanoes in a single frame, echoing the iconic 'blue marble' photograph taken during the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. The photograph was released this week as NASA's space photo of the day.

For Campania, the image offers a rare perspective on Vesuvius—the 1,281-metre volcano that looms over Naples and remains one of Europe's most active geological features. The volcano last erupted in 1944, killing dozens of people, and continues to be monitored closely by seismologists. Vesuvius dominates the region's geography, culture and hazard landscape; its visibility from the International Space Station underscores both its physical prominence and its place in global scientific attention.