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Incredible video showcases world’s first 8K VR drone footage of Iceland’s Mt. Fagradalsfjall volcano
Incredible new footage, captured with an 8K Insta360 Pro 2 mounted to the bottom of a DJI drone, shows the Mt. Fagradalsfjall volcano in Geldingadalur, Iceland as it continues to erupt. The immersive visuals were captured by Ragnar Th. Sigurðsson, founder of Arctic Images, and drone pilot Arnar Þór Þórsson in collaboration with Perlan Museum, ‘which hosts a state-of-the-art 8K planetarium and other exhibitions on Iceland’s geographic wonders.’
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The Mt. Fagradalsfjall volcano erupted for the first time in roughly 800 years back on March 19, 2021. Since then, it’s been spewing lava from its fissures, making for incredible visuals that have brought photographers from around the world to see the geological phenomenon. We’ve already seen a number of incredible videos captured with drones flying over the active volcano, but none of which allow you to control what you’re seeing. Until now, that is.
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While YouTube limits playback to 4K, the footage was recorded in 8K using an Insta360 Pro 2 attached to the bottom of a DJI Matrice 600 drone. According to Insta360’s blog post detailing the creation of this video, the drone and camera flew over lava that reached reached temperatures as high as 1240°C degrees (2264°F). Despite the intense heat, which we’ve already seen is capable of melting drones, both the Insta360 Pro 2 and DJI Matrice 600 survived the flight.
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For the best viewing experience, make sure you’re using a browser that supports YouTube’s VR content and have plenty of bandwidth to stream the video at full resolution. Another option, if you have one on hand, is to use a VR headset to really immerse yourself in the footage.