Visitors to Kilauea's summit have a rare chance to see a red, orange and yellow glow emanate from a vent at Halemaumau Crater, traditionally considered to be the home of Pele, the Hawaiian volcano goddess.

Kilauea on the Big Island has been erupting continuously since 1983 and frequently offers views of lava oozing to the surface and flowing into the sea. But it's rare for an incandescent glow to be seen at Halemaumau Crater, said Mardie Lane, a spokeswoman for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

"It's wonderful to look into what is for Hawaiians the traditional home of Pele and be able to see this glow and this plume rising," she said. "In my 27 years in this national park, I've witnessed many incredible sights. And I put this one right up there."

The bright colors are not from lava. Though there is some magma underneath the ground, it hasn't risen to the surface to create lava.

Instead, the colorful hues are created by superheated fumes and steam plumes bursting out of a vent in the crater.

The glow is best seen at sunset and early evening, Lane said. Rangers have set up a telescope at Jaggar Museum for visitors who want to get a closer look.

Lane said the glow has been visible since mid-March, around the time Kilauea erupted for the first time since 1924. No lava erupted in that incident, which rained rocks across a 75-acre area, suggesting it was caused by hydrothermal or gas buildup.

The crater exploded again late Wednesday. High levels of sulfur dioxide pouring out of it led officials to close the park for two days last week.

But park data showed the air quality was fine around Jaggar Museum and the Kilauea Visitor Center on Sunday. Sulfur dioxide levels were moderate southwest of the crater and vent but didn't reach unhealthy levels, according to the National Park Service.