This is the breathtaking moment a helicopter captures a stunning view of the Hawaii volcano eruption.

Dramatic footage shows hot rocks spewing from the crater during a morning overflight on January 3, around 7 am.

With permission from Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, geologists from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory landed at Halema'uma'u, the sacred crater linked to Pele, the Native Hawaiian elemental force of lava.

Another clip shows one of them collecting a molten lava sample amid the searing heat, swiftly cooled in a water-filled metal bucket.

The rare sample will undergo geochemical analysis, offering insights into the conditions within the magma chamber and the fiery journey of magma to the surface.

Kilauea is the world's most active volcanic mass and is the central feature of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Its caldera is nearly three miles long and two miles wide, with an area of more than four square miles.