On April 22, 2015, Calbuco Volcano erupted in Chile.  I discussed it in my blog here.  Now one of the lovely results of this eruption is a series of volcanic sunrises and sunsets in Africa and other Southern Hemisphere locations as the high level aerosol layer reflects sunlight back when the sun is just below the horizon.

EarthSky has an article today about some of the beautiful sunsets that observers have seen lately.  I remember watching similar sunsets in 1992 and 1993 after Mount Pinatubo erupted in the Philippines.

Other volcanic eruptions have contributed to famous paintings in the past.  J. M. W. Turner was a famous painter in the early 1800s whose paintings of fiery skies were most likely related to volcanic sunsets following the eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia in 1815.  The more modern Impressionists like Claude Monet may also have gotten inspiration from volcanic sunsets such as those from Krakatoa.  You can read a Smithsonian article about volcanic sunsets and art here.

Source: Peter Lowenstein/EarthSky
Source: Peter Lowenstein/EarthSky