The Lava Lake seen from BelvedereThe best point on Nyiragongo's crater rim to observe the whole lava lake is the so-called Belvedere (or Bastion), exactly on the W rim and above the lake, seen at an angle of only 30 deg from vertical: a real aerial view! All photos were taken by digital camera, so that the lens focal lengths should be multiplied by a factor 1.5 to be compared to usual 24x36mm format. | |||
 27 Jan 2006, f=16mm (fish-eye lens). View of the whole crater with the two terraces, levels of the 1977 (upper) and 2002 (lower) lakes. |  27 Jan, f=50mm. Complete view of the lake about 300 m wide (585 m below the rim). The second terrace (2002 lake) at bottom foreground. |  27 Jan, f=135mm. The E end of the lake, with fountains bubbling on the shoreline. Note the black folds on the dark lava skin. |  Aerial view of the W end of the lake at the same focal length. A fountain is bubbling in the lake's center and another on the shore. |
 27 Jan, f=50mm. Night view, with thick steam coming from fountains on the W rim masking most of the lake. |  27 Jan, f=16mm (fish-eye lens). This wide-angle view gives an impression of the steep perspective. |  27 Jan, f=16mm (fish-eye lens). Stefan taking photos from Belvedere of the bubbling lake at bottom-left. |  Goma lights and Lake Kivu. In the sky Argo (left), Large Magellan Cloud (center) and Achernar (right). Brightest star: Canopus (top). |
 27 Jan 2006, f=135mm. The SW lake shoreline. Note white sulfur deposits and fumaroles left of the shoreline. |  Fountains on the North shoreline become stronger and stronger. |  Lava splashes on the lake shore from the fountains at the E lake end. |  As activity continues, the steam from the fountains becomes thicker and thicker. |