Before 2008, there wasn’t much to see here at night. But scientists at the observing station detected sulfur fumes, and then Halema‘uma‘u opened.
Today, molten lava from the fire pit flows thru subterranean lava tubes down to the sea. But the best view is here. Well, the best view is here at night. We’ve been here several times now during the day, but this is our first time at night.
Steam and vapors billow into the sky, lit orange by the molten rock in the pit, catching the wind, blowing with the mist and low clouds across the face of the sky.
As the clouds disperse, we see Orion lying on his side in the “wrong” part of the sky. And there’s the Milky Way behind those clouds blowing on the wind. And look, there’s the Southern Cross.
The Southern Cross, I’ve never seen the Southern Cross!