The lava lake in January 2011

Conjunction of Venus and the moon at dawn of 30 Jan. Red plume from the lava lake at left.

On the rim of the new pit about 15m deep, with the fountaining lava lake about 50m wide.

Vertical view down to the lake from the east rim. A visitor takes the risk to stand on the unstable south rim.

Suddenly strong convection in the lake exposes fresh magma from below along the incadescent cracks.

View of the lake from the west rim. Note the cracks on the south rim at right, a worrisome sight!

Incandescent gas melts new fissures in the pit walls on the lower right from the photographer on the east rim.

Tourists spend an unforgettable night on the safer west rim (view from the camp on the caldera rim).

At dawn of 31 Jan, the Moon has moved halfway between Venus (top) and the horizon.

The strong fountain below the south rim has stopped its activity, while the cracks emit hot blue gas.

Thorsten Bockel (white T-shirt) is filming the strong fountains below the pit's south rim.

Martin Rietze uses a gas-mask as protection against the terribly hot gas coming from the lake.

Panorama over the other larger (north) pit, where the hornito shows an incandescent vent.

Lava overflows of November 2010 from the new pit (center right) have completely filled the former (and larger) south pit.

Downwind from the lava lake, a dense carpet of fair Pele's hair covers the silvery fresh pahoehoe lava.

Panorama of the lava overflows of November 2010 seen from the west rim of Erta Ale's caldera.

Panorama of the new pit and of the lava overflows from the hornito just south of the lava lake.