The eruption of Kīlauea on 24 January 2026 was captured here by one of the Cloudcams of Gemini North, one half of the International Gemini Observatory, in Hawai‘i. The International Gemini Observatory is funded in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and operated by NSF NOIRLab.
This was the 41st episodic eruption of Kīlauea since December 2024. The top image captures a gray plume (center) around 11:30 a.m., about 20 minutes after the first eruption, on the morning of 24 January 2026. The middle image captures the residual heat two hours after the eruption ended, and the bottom image captures the subsequent plume two hours later, with the emergence of the clear night sky. Fine ash, tephra, and Pele’s hair from this particular episode landed as far away as Hilo on the eastern side of the island.
Kīlauea is one of five shield volcanoes that constitute the island of Hawai‘i. Gemini North is located on the summit of Maunakea, the tallest point in Hawai‘i, about 27 miles (50 kilometers) northwest of Kīlauea. Staff at the International Gemini Observatory and other Maunakea Observatories have plans in place to respond to these eruptions and minimize their effects on telescopes. This eruption posed no threat to the Maunakea observatories.
