sending a boom across the bay, the offspring of indonesia's fabled krakatau volcano is unleashing another mighty eruption, blasting smoke and red-hot rocks hundreds of feet into the sky, Even on its quiet side, the black sand on the now forbidden island is so hot that a visitor can only briefly set foot on it,This week's by Anak Krakatau—or "child of Krakatau"—is impressive, yet it is a mere sneeze when compared to the blast in August 1883 that obliterated its "father" in the most powerful explosion in recorded history, That blast was heard as far away as 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers) and choked the atmosphere with ash and dust, altering weather patterns for years. Some 36,000 people were killed in the eruptions and ensuing tsunamis.
