Tonga volcano eruption: Antarctica’s sky dazzles in shades of purple

The Antarctica sky has turned stunning shades of purple and violet due to the afterglow from the powerful eruption of the Tonga volcano, creating a dazzling stratospheric spectacle.

The peculiar sight—which had been observed across New Zealand and Australia over the past month—is said to be the aftermath of the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai volcano that erupted in January 2022.

The Polynesian underwater volcano erupted on January 15, sending shockwaves across the Pacific ocean. It unleashed what was likely the tallest plume of ash, sulphur dioxide and steam ever recorded, rising 58 kilometres.

Aerosols from the volcanic plume were dispersed around the globe, thanks to the colossal force of the January explosion “hundreds of times” more powerful than the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs.

🌋 The afterglow from the Tongan volcano has now reached Antarctica, causing stunning pink & purple skyscapes like those recently seen in New Zealand 🇦🇶https://t.co/YRVQVN3Xor

📸 Stuart Shaw, @AntarcticaNZ pic.twitter.com/vZV3Xo8G37

— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) July 14, 2022

Now, scientists have put the purple and pink colour of the twilight sky down to these aerosols’ interaction with light.