Watch: Iceland volcano erupts amidst Northern Lights display

REYKJAVIK, Iceland - Captivating footage unveils the breathtaking eruption of an Icelandic volcano set against the canvas of the enchanting northern lights, painting a scene reminiscent of the most spellbinding imagery found within the pages of a fantasy novel.

The extraordinary event captured on camera is part of the Sundhnúkur eruptions, situated approximately 4 kilometers (2½ miles) northeast of Grindavik, a coastal town home to 3,800 people. This area had been evacuated prior due to a previous eruption on Dec. 18th.

The footage was captured by Associated Press photographer Marco Di Marco, who is known for running the Volcano Chaser website.

Marco shared a series of images on his social media platform, revealing that he had been striving to capture these shots for years.

"The sky exploded just a few minutes after we arrived, so we sent the drones out in order to get a decent composition, given that the northern lights were fairly high in the sky and with a drone would've been a bit faster to move around the eruptive area," Marco wrote on Instagram. 

Marco elaborated that capturing the shots proved challenging due to the intense and luminous glow emitted by the lava, which often overshadowed the fainter hues of the aurora.

This story was reported from Los Angeles.