Right now on the International Space Station there is a machine that makes crazy light spirals like the one pictured above.
This image was tweeted today by the ISS Japanese Commander Koichi Wakata:
軌道上芸術活動の一環として、逢坂卓郎氏が考案したSpiral Topを使った実験を行いました。宇宙は新たな芸術も創造する空間、無重量環境の可能性は無限大です。 pic.twitter.com/O5kxdk40hP
— Koichi Wakata (@Astro_Wakata) January 6, 2014
Dont’ worry if you don’t read Japanese, he also tweeted a photo with an English caption a few minutes later:
Another photo of “Spiral Top” developed by Dr.Takuro Osaka. Potential of what zero-gravity can create is unlimited! pic.twitter.com/C6TXzS628w
— Koichi Wakata (@Astro_Wakata) January 6, 2014
The spirals are the product of the “Spiral Top,” a device with mounted LEDs that, as the name suggests, spins like a top, allowing for beautifully light-painted images like this one. Wakata also tweeted a photo of the device itself while it was stationary and not making beautiful light spirals.
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
You can see more photos of the Spiral Top in action on Dr. Takuro Osaka’s site.
(via Koichi Wakata on Twitter)
- Commander Wakata has a little robot friend in space with him, and its adorable
- NASA is using the Kinect and Oculus Rift to control robot arms
- There are a lot of great photos coming from the ISS lately
