(Image source: Fragile Oasis)
 

BY EVAN BUSH

So it’s not a moon rock souvenir  -- but an astronaut might have brought back something more valuable to photography and space nerds alike from the International Space Station.

Here’s a taste of the time-lapse video, taken during some of the last orbits astronaut Ron Garan made during his time in space. Garan said the images get pretty close to what the world looks like from space. Of the video, he said: “When I saw the results, I was so excited that I couldn’t sleep!”

Garan compiled the video to a Peter Gabriel song and then shared it. Discover Magazine has more.

“This is part of a project Ron is working on called Fragile Oasis, an effort to get everyone to see the Earth as a single home for humanity, and to inspire people to make a difference, change things for the better.”

Garan set up the shots himself using Nikon D3s and D2Xs cameras, which you could find in a high-end photography store. So how’d he pull it off? Here’s the Huffington Post.

“To make the video, Garan and Fossum [a fellow astronaut] set DSLR cameras to take one picture about every three seconds. Garan says that even though the ISS is traveling at a speed of 17,500 mph, time-lapse photography gives the impression that the space station is traveling even faster.”

For Garan, releasing the video was more than a passion project. It marks something of a celebration. WTXF has that part of the story.

“Garan, who returned home in September after five-and-a-half months aboard the International Space Station, released the video on Monday ... he timed it to coincide with the return of crew mates Mike Fossum, Sergei Volkov and Satoshi Furukawa who return after a half a year on the space station.”