Mount St. Helens Erupted 37 Years Ago Today—See What It Looked Like From Space

The explosion shot ash 80,000 feet into the air.

By Sophia June

On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted, blowing 1,300 feet off the mountain and killing 57 people.

In a 2005 Willamette Week retrospective, Patty Wentz wrote about the significance of the event.

The explosion, which shot ash 80,000 feet in the air, was so major, it could be seen in space.

Today, one of the least-appreciated government agencies, the National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service (NESIDS), released video showing what the eruption looked like from space.

Seattle's National Weather Service also posted this video of the explosion, showing a bright burst of infrared.

Here's the original KGW broadcast of the event.

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.