| Electrical discharges sparked by the heat of ash plumes light the night sky above Chaitén volcano in the Patagonia region of Chile. The volcano began erupting in early May, for the first time in 9,400 years. Ash | billowing from the crater was visible from some 200 kilometers away, and even caused disruption in neighboring Argentina. Thousands of people were evacuated from the surrounding area, with relatively few casualties. | |