As the name implies, the International Space Station is a collaborative endeavor between global space agencies, each of which works on individual projects as well as team efforts. One of Japanese space agency JAXA's projects is, apparently, art -- more specifically, a project by artist Takura Osaka.
Called Spiral Top, it's a spinning gadget with LEDs in its prongs. When pushed through the zero-G atmosphere onboard the station, it allows a human photographer to take a beautiful, long-exposure light painting.
During his tenure aboard the ISS in 2009 -- and currently -- astronaut Koichi Wakada has been taking photos with the Spiral Top. He tweeted two recent pictures this week showing the device's passage through the station.
????????????????????????Spiral Top????????????????????????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/O5kxdk40hP
— Koichi Wakata (@Astro_Wakata) January 6, 2014
And below, the Spiral Top switched off and unmoving:
This "Spiral Top" with LEDs makes an amazing art in zero-gravity. See photos of my next two tweets.? pic.twitter.com/EvU25l3Il8
— Koichi Wakata (@Astro_Wakata) January 6, 2014
We're not entirely sure what the purpose of the artwork is, but JAXA is no stranger to interesting and offbeat space projects. Last year, the agency sent chat robot Kirobo into space to keep Wakada company on his long stay away from home.
(Source: Crave Australia)
Discuss: Amazing light paintings -- in space!
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