Anniversary of the 1944 Mount Vesuvius eruption
The last eruption of Mount Vesuvius on 18 March 1944 resulted in widespread devastation in nearby villages and towns, including San Sebastiano al Vesuvio and Massa di Somma. Lava flow and ash clouds engulfed surrounding areas, causing extensive damage to buildings and infrastructure. Though the eruption forced thousands of residents to flee their homes, the resilience of the affected communities and the efforts of emergency responders helped mitigate the impact of the disaster.
The lava emitted by the volcano in the 1944 eruption is still visible from space, and can be seen in this image acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 21 February.
The Copernicus Sentinel satellites support the monitoring of volcanoes worldwide, even those in remote regions.
