The camera, installed in the Mexican national park between the extinct volcano of Iztaccíhuatl and the active volcano of Popocatepetl, is directed towards the second and, in clear weather, shows a “smoking hill”, which is how the name Popocatepetl is translated from Nahuatl.
Popocatepetl is also one of the highest mountains in Mexico. The height of the volcano is 5,426 meters, only Pico de Orizaba (5,675 meters) is higher. Although the volcano is active, around it are the largest cities in the country, with a total population of about 20 million people.
Periodically, it is necessary to evacuate the inhabitants of settlements close to the volcano. For example, in December 2000, tens of thousands of people had to leave their homes because of the threat of a large eruption, and five years later, a large explosion occurred in the crater of Popocatepetl, which resulted in a large column of smoke and ash, rising to a height of about 3 kilometers.
The first ascent of the volcano was made by the Spanish explorer, Diego de Ordaz, 500 years ago, in 1519.
