Lava vents were seen from the air at Halemaumau Crater in Hawaii.

A United States Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory flight documented the ongoing summit eruption at Kilauea's Halemaumau on 17 January, around 10 am.

Stunning footage shows two erupting vents in the southwest caldera, along with a brief sampling mission on the sacred crater's floor.

The mission was hosted at Halemaumau, revered as the home of Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes, with permission from Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

The collected samples will advance the understanding of magma storage and transport, informing critical hazard assessments.

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.