Incredible moment TWO of the most amazing natural phenomena appear side by side: Iceland’s volcanic eruption AND the northern lights are captured in a unique photo

A stunning image captured the moment two of nature’s most amazing phenomena co-existed.

Iceland’s volcanic eruption wasn’t the only spectacular event to light up the sky last night, as the Northern Lights also provided an incredible spectacle for passengers on a delayed flight out of the country.

21-year-old Sophie Molloy, who returned to Manchester with her parents after a short holiday, was lucky enough to witness the remarkable incident and take a unique photo with her phone.

The Lancaster University student said she and her family were in Iceland for just two days before returning home on Monday. “We definitely got more than we bargained for!” she told MailOnline.

She shared the beautiful photos taken during the flight and said everyone on the EasyJet flight had the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful scene.

21-year-old student Sophie Molloy took the pictures on her flight back to Manchester

“We could see the eruption through the plane windows, those on the right saw it erupt.”

“The passengers on the plane were all in a good mood. “It was a nice atmosphere, most passengers left their seats to look at others,” she said.

“Everyone was generally very calm because we probably won’t experience anything like this again!”

Flights from Reykjavik’s Keflavik International Airport were delayed last night, including Sophie’s plane, which was left on the tarmac for five hours before taking off at 1.35am due to volcanic activity.

Passengers were told by easyJet: “We’re sorry your flight has been delayed.” Because volcanic activity in Keflavik (KEF) leads to restrictions in the areas where planes are allowed to fly.”

Sophie added that “part of the delay was due to some passengers not wanting to fly and someone having a drink.”

She said the flight was initially delayed by several hours due to fog in Geneva, adding: “If it hadn’t been for that, we would have missed the outbreak entirely.”

“After waiting for the plane for an hour, passengers on the right side of the plane saw the eruption take place.

“As you can imagine, there wasn’t much information, although the pilot assured us that he was in contact with headquarters.”

Rescue workers and scientists watch as the rising smoke and flowing lava turn the sky orange. This handout map from the Icelandic Coast Guard shows it flying over a volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula, 3 km north of Grindavik, on Monday night.

The first aerial photographs of the eruption show nearly three kilometers of lava pouring out of the fissure

She said the flight, which was scheduled to leave at 7:55 p.m. on Monday, finally took off at around 1:35 a.m. on Tuesday.

“Unfortunately, some passengers did not feel comfortable flying, just as we got the all clear, and left the plane, which is completely understandable.” “Among them were some Icelandic residents,” she said.

Sophie added that the general mood among passengers was “that everyone in the area is fine and that there is not too much damage, especially to local residents.”

Tourists flock to Iceland hoping to catch a glimpse of an aurora borealis or even an active volcano – and now holidaymakers heading home have managed to see both incredible sights in one go.

Although the eruption produced stunning images, many residents fear for their homes – with the town of Grindavik in the shadow of the volcano.

Rescue workers and scientists watch as the rising smoke and flowing lava turn the sky orange. This handout map from the Icelandic Coast Guard shows it flying over a volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula, 3 km north of Grindavik, on Monday night.

The fishing village has been hit by thousands of earthquakes in recent weeks, forcing the entire population to evacuate.

The eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula, north of the evacuated town of Grindavik, began at around 10.17pm last night after a swarm of earthquakes, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said, citing a series of smaller tremors.

Live footage of the eruption showed molten lava spewing into the air from cracks in the ground, surrounded by billowing clouds of red smoke.

There are fears the eruption, with 200 cubic meters of lava spewing from fissures every second, could have a devastating impact on air travel after another Icelandic eruption in 2010 grounded thousands of flights across Europe and North America and killed holidaymakers .

WHAT ARE AURORAS AND WHAT CAUSES THE BEAUTIFUL NATURAL VIEWS?

The Northern and Southern Lights are natural spectacles of light that are activated in our atmosphere and are also called “auros”.

There are two types of aurora: Aurora Borealis, meaning “dawn of the north,” and Aurora Australis, “dawn of the south.”

The screens light up when electrically charged particles from the sun enter the Earth’s atmosphere.

There are two types of northern lights: Aurora Borealis (archive photo), meaning “dawn of the north,” and Aurora Australis, “dawn of the south.” The screens light up when electrically charged particles from the sun enter the Earth’s atmosphere

Normally, the particles, also called a solar storm, are deflected by the Earth’s magnetic field.

However, during stronger storms, they enter the atmosphere and collide with gas particles, including hydrogen and helium.

These collisions emit light. Auroras appear in many colors, although light green and pink are common.