Mount Etna rose above a dense sea of clouds in a golden dawn photograph captured by Daniel Cilia while travelling over the Malta–Sicily Channel.
Cilia shared the photograph on Facebook on Friday, describing the view as a “golden buongiorno” on the way towards Italy.
According to the photographer, the aircraft was climbing at an altitude of around 6,200 metres when the image was taken.
Below, thick layers of cloud covered the channel. Above them, Etna’s summit appeared against an orange and yellow morning sky.
A Dawn View From Around 6,200 Metres
The altitude reported by Cilia provides a sense of the perspective from which the photograph was taken.
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program currently lists Mount Etna’s elevation as 3,357 metres above sea level. That means the aircraft’s reported altitude was approximately 1.85 times the volcano’s listed elevation.
That comparison does not mean the aircraft was directly above Etna. The photograph was taken while travelling over the channel, with the volcano visible in the distance.
The position allowed the summit to appear above the cloud layer rather than being partly hidden by it.
Malta And Sicily Connected In One View
For Mela Bonġu’s audience, the photograph carries a particularly recognisable geographical connection.
It was captured while travelling between Malta and Italy, with the cloud-covered Malta–Sicily Channel below and one of Sicily’s best-known landmarks ahead.
The conditions transformed the journey into a layered Mediterranean scene: clouds in the foreground, Etna on the horizon and the first golden light of the day filling the sky.
The image also shows how a familiar route can look completely different depending on altitude, weather and light.
