{
  "id": 19307584,
  "title": "Highly active Russian volcano plays peek-a-boo with an astronaut",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/10/highly-active-russian-volcano-plays-peek-a-boo-with-an-astronaut",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-11-10T08:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Live Science",
    "slug": "live-science",
    "url": "https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/volcanoes/highly-active-russian-volcano-plays-peek-a-boo-with-an-astronaut-earth-from-space"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "An unnamed astronaut aboard the International Space Station captured an image on August 2, 2019, showing the summit of Alaid volcano on Atlasov Island peeking above a thick layer of low-lying clouds in the Kuril Islands. The Kuril Islands, a chain of roughly 50 volcanic landmasses stretching between Russia and Japan, are located 40 miles off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, known for its volcanic activity. Atlasov Island, named after the volcano it hosts, consists mainly of a single massive volcano, Alaid, which stands at a height of 7,497 feet (2,285 meters) and is the tallest peak in the Kuril Islands. Alaid has erupted at least nine times in the past 50 years, with its most recent eruption occurring between September and November 2022, resulting in a lava flow down its snow-covered slopes. The astronaut photograph reveals roughly half of Atlasov Island protruding from a deep, swirling bank of clouds, with the base of Alaid obscured by the same cloud cover. The volcano's summit, featuring a roughly mile-wide (1.6 km) caldera, is also hidden beneath the clouds. The area around a cluster of parasitic cones on the northwest flank of the volcano is devoid of vegetation, a result of a major eruption in 1972 that scorched the surrounding landscape. The photo also highlights a contrast between the cloud-obscured summit of Alaid and the exposed cone of a larger underwater volcano beneath the Sea of Okhotsk.",
  "summary": "A 2019 astronaut photo shows the near-perfect cone of a highly active volcano poking its heavily scarred and partially snow-covered head above a thick bank of low-lying clouds over the Kuril Islands.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Live Science",
        "title": "'Quite a light show': NASA astronaut snaps atmospheric fireball as Russian rocket explodes over West Africa",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/quite-a-light-show-nasa-astronaut-snaps-atmospheric-fireball-as",
        "published": "2026-11-08T12:00:41.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}