Astronaut Chris Hadfield's otherworldly Earth landscapes, from space

"Venezuelan valley framed by misty clouds - mysterious, beautiful and surreal."—Chris Hadfield

As I've blogged before, Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield is currently living in space aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as Flight Engineer on Expedition 34 and he has been tweeting absolutely stunning photographs of Earth. Follow him on Twitter, for daily photo updates. Hadfield has captured some of the devastating floods hitting Australia this week, in images like the one below.

"Floodwaters pour into the Coral Sea near Rockhampton, Australia on Tuesday morning."—Chris Hadfield

"Cauliflower clouds over the Amazon rainforest. A river like lightning."—Chris Hadfield

"A blue river in Brazilian farmland provides a striking contrast of colour and landscape."—Chris Hadfield

"Is this African lake real, or a mirage? Either way, a sere and beautiful natural work of art."—Chris Hadfield

• [robuluz]

  He’s taken some amazing images of the flooding we have in Australia at the moment:

  http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-01-30/astronaut-tweets-flood-pics-from-space/4490334

• [Jake0748]

  So, is  Hadfield the best, most dedicated earth-photogropher of all the astronauts ever?  I know those people have a lot to do up there. But this guy is off the hook when it comes to amazing earth photos. 

• [Flugfrei Jones]

  “High Flight”

   Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
   And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
   Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
   of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things
   You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung
   High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
   I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
   My eager craft through footless halls of air….

   Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
   I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace.
   Where never lark, or even eagle flew —
   And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod
   The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
   - Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
  ~John Gillespie Magee, Jr. 

• [euansmith]

  Pretty darn cool; but I guess he needs a lot of help to get his camera that high up.

• [David Silverberg]

  I also posted my top pics from Hadfield recently, check it: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/340223