Chilean volcano eruption felt far away

This image taken by a NASA satellite Saturday gives you a sense of how far ash from Chile's Chaitén Volcano is spreading.

All the way across the Southern Cone to Argentina's Atlantic coast, covering a swatch of the continent. And the cloud has grown even bigger since this photo was taken.

On Thursday, Argentine media reported that the ash had reached the capital of Buenos Aires, which is by my count more than 1,000 miles away from the volcano. The city isn't even in this picture; it's situated way above the frame to the right. somewhere over this blog entry's headline. Airplane flights in much of Argentine Patagonia have been suspended because of the ash cloud.

Closer to the volcano, six miles away, the town of Chaitén has been entirely evacuated. What residents will return home to, however, is in question: Scientists speculate the region may not be inhabitable for years to come, as the thick ash turns soils in the whole region infertile.

And if the volcano blows, the town may be buried by ash indefinitely.