Europe’s highest active volcano, Mount Etna sent molten lava and ash hundreds of metres into the air and threw a column of smoke over the Italian island of Sicily.
The eruption caused Catalina airport to close as it was feared the 5,000m-high (three-mile) ash cloud could endanger flights.
The ‘beautiful display’ could be seen miles away from the snow-capped mountains.
Volcanologists said the activity lasted six hours on Wednesday night with magma bubbles and detonations lasting into daybreak.
Etna, which stands at 3,330m (11,000ft), is almost constantly active with eruptions that can sometimes last for days, grounding flights to the island.
But the volcano is not considered to be very dangerous and its displays are watched with delight around the world through webcams.
Its ash trails create a rich volcanic soil that has made the area home to farms and vineyards, Metro.co.uk reported.
