Scientists journey into an active volcano crater

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This is not a special-effects still from an upcoming movie. Instead, it's a photo taken at Nyiragongo Volcano in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, and National Geographic has the story of a team of Congolese seismologists who journeyed into Nyiragongo's crater to study the volcano's massive lava lake, and try to learn more about what's going on inside a mountain that could potentially kill thousands.

This photo, taken by Carsten Peter, shows a scientist walking on cooled lava within the volcano's caldera. The red color comes from a reflection of the light off the nearby lava lake. There's lots more breath-taking photos on the National Geographic site.