Canadian born astronaut Chris Hadfield has made his country extremely proud over his many years in service, from his countless honours and experiences as a pilot, to being the first Canadian to walk in space. He was also the first Canadian to visit the International Space Station (ISS) and the only Canadian to go on board the Russian space station Mir. He adds to his list, as of 19 December 2012, the first Canadian commander of the ISS!
This exceptional man has not just let this historic moment fly by (pardon the pun) but he has taken this amazing opportunity and experience and made it even more memorable by documenting in detail his orbital routine with massive amounts of images and videos to constantly feed down to the world. Using the simple means of Facebook and Twitter (in which he has a total social network following of roughly 1 million people!) he has opened up the stars to us humble folk who could only dream of being where he is today. He has given so many people the courage to hope they too could be there themselves one day! But for those of us who will only dream of such a thing (maybe due to a crippling fear of heights and flying that holds us back!) He has really made us feel that we are there with him and has given us a detailed glimpse into everyday life on the space station and a detailed running picture book of the stunning view only space can give us of our wondrous blue planet. My daunting challenge has been to sift through the mesmerising stack of images that Hadfield has taken in his short few months in space and pick his greatest hits, so to speak! This has been a near impossible task and every person will have their own favourites but let me tread the waters and give you my top 10 pictures and my top five videos produced by Commander Chris Hadfield since 19 December 2012.
Top 10 Images
òÀÜA snail (sic) island on the waters around Indonesia, with transparent insides.òÀÝ 15/4/13
Obviously this is my own personal favourite of Chris HadfieldòÀÙs top images and there is something truly lovely and very funny about this image. I wonder if the people on the island are as relaxed as the island’s image may suggest!
Number 9
òÀÜMalta and Gozo, glowing in the Mediterranean under a halo of cloud on their hillsòÀÝ 16/2/13
This is an absolutely stunning image of Malta and its mystical island of Gozo, said to be the home of the Greek nymph Calypso, which translates as òÀÜto hideòÀÝ or òÀÜconcealòÀÝ . Quite apt as in this image as the beautiful island is only peeking from behind the clouds and darkness and could easily be mistaken for an unusual golden object in space!
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Number 8
òÀÜCloud Vortex Spinning its wheels on the Chilean coastòÀÝ 14/4/13
Whilst in space not only is Hadfield giving us a glimpse of the beauty of our landscapes but he is giving us an insight into the workings of the planet, revealing the complexities of our planetòÀÙs climate with images such as this phenomenal vortex cloud.
Number 7
òÀÜAncient Saharan stone, burnished by eternal sand and windòÀÝ 28/4/13
The Sahara seems to be a favourite landscape for Hadfield as he has stated before about how beautiful and unusual the land is and perfect to capture from space. There are many images captured of the Saharan desert that reveal the strange interaction between sand and wind that create such hypnotic images.
Number 6
òÀÜTonightòÀÙs Finale: I have no idea what this Brazilian outcrop looks like on the ground, but from orbit, itòÀÙs a brain.òÀÝ 12/4/13
This amazing image most likely resembles nothing like a brain on the ground but this image is another example of how our planet’s random layout can reveal such strange yet beautiful creations.
Number 5
òÀÜA clear Dublin night in early spring.òÀÝ 9/4/13
We may be a tiny country but we have not been forgotten from space with Hadfield taking many pictures of us from the remotest corners of the Emerald Isle to this magical image of the busy nightlife of IrelandòÀÙs capital, Dublin. Maybe his partiality to this small country is due to the fact that his daughter is studying in Trinity College in Dublin. Click this Link to watch an interview the proud daughter gave about her inspirational father.
Number 4
òÀÜTonightòÀÙs finale: Australia. Jackson Pollock would have been even further inspired by seeing the Outback from orbit.òÀÝ 24/1/13
No, this is not a secret Jackson Pollock abstract piece of artwork thatòÀÙs been hiding away in some vault for many years but instead is the stunning, crazy landscape of Australia! When asked by a Reddit user òÀÜWhich part of the world looks the coolest from space?òÀÝ he replied that it was Australia with itòÀÙs òÀØcolours and texturesòÀÙ being òÀØseverely artistic,òÀÙ and I donòÀÙt think many people could disagree with that statement when looking at this beautiful, natural òÀÜpaintingòÀÝ coming in at number 4!
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Number 3
òÀÜThe incredibly green lush wetness of the Amazon basin.òÀÝ 6/2/13
This really is an incredible image of the Amazon worthy of 3rd place in my books. With a warm sunset reflecting off the Amazonian river giving the impression of liquid gold winding its way through the forest, it really gives a rich and majestic feel to one of the worldòÀÙs most stunning features.
Number 2
