When they talk about Big Mother in Catania they're not discussing the latest in reality TV, because Big Mother is none other than a 3000-metre-high volcano - Mount Etna.

The mountain gets its nickname from its shape as it rises above a series of cone clusters, created from lava from past eruptions. As a mother, however, Etna leaves much to desire: her latest victims are as a recent as August 1999 when a sudden explosion caused the death of two climbers who were heading for the old crater.

Etna is indeed a somewhat unnatural mother, that in a spectacular series of eruptions which lasted between 1968 and 1971 destroyed the observatory at the top of the mountain cutting off all access to the summit.

Etna is Europe's largest live volcano as well as being one of the world's most active registering more than 200 eruptions since 1900. Etna's worst eruption and the 5^th most devastating eruption of all time dates back to 1669.

There is still regular activity from the volcano, and the eruption in 1991 was the worst registered over the last three centuries. The eruption started in Valle del Bove, a spectacular natural amphitheatre on the eastern side of the mountain. Etna's unpredictable nature means that it being constantly monitored for activity by the Poseidon project that has been sponsored since the 1980s by Italy's' National Geophysical Institute as well as by the National Volcano Group (part of NCR). Part of the monitoring project consists of a webcam pointing to the main crater. Thanks to this webcam scientists have been able to monitor the white smoke that has been rising from the crater since 1995.

The might of "Mongibello", from Etna's ancient Arab name Gibel Utlamat, can be appreciated from this spectacular shuttle image.

The more fainthearted should visit Etna's Natural Park and save all views and animations of the volcano for the safety of their PC.