Light fantastic: Stunning pictures show Northern Lights over erupting Icelandic volcano

The Northern Lights are effortlessly one of Earth's most visually striking natural spectacles.

But when they shine over an eruption at the Icelandic volcano which caused ash cloud flight chaos across Europe, the results are stunning, as these pictures show.

Purple and blue lights in the sky contrast with bright yellow and red lava flowing from the Eyjafjallajvkull volcano, erupting from beneath its ice cap.

---------------------------------------------------

Greece lightning...Hammer of Zeus: Ancient Parthenon lit from above as storm breaks over Athens

It looks like a narrow escape for one of mankind's most ancient symbols.

A bolt of lightning illuminates the sky around the 2,500-year-old Parthenon temple, high on the Acropolis during a heavy rainfall in Athens early this morning.

Fortunately, the temple is believed to have escaped any damage.


The Parthenon, completed in 432BC, was originally dedicated to the goddess Athena. Its main function was to shelter a statue of the goddess made out of gold and ivory.

In 1656, a lightning strike to a powder keg destroyed structures on the Acropolis - but fortunately spared the Parthenon.
-------------------------------------------------

First Martyrs of the See of Rome

Feastday: June 30

The holy men and women are also called the “Protomartyrs of Rome.” They were accused of burning Rome by Nero , who burned Rome to cover his own crimes. Some martyrs were burned as living torches at evening banquets, some crucified, others were fed to wild animals. These martyrs died before Sts. Peter and Paul, and are called “disciples of the Apostles. . . whom the Holy Roman church sent to their Lord before the Apostles’ death.”