Gaia: Photos of Earth From Space Tourist Guy Laliberte

Gaia Book Cover

ASSOULINE, available for purchase at ASSOULINE Boutiques worldwide and through www.assouline.com

Canadian space tourist Guy Laliberte, founder of Cirque du Soleil, paid his way to space aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in 2009. Two years later, he published a book called "Gaia" (Assouline, June 2011), of photos of Earth he took from the International Space Station.

Kazakhstan Desert Seen From Space

ASSOULINE, available for purchase at ASSOULINE Boutiques worldwide and through www.assouline.com

The desert of Kazakhstan, off the coast of the Caspian sea, as seen from the International Space Station by Guy Laliberte.

Mongolia Seen From Space

ASSOULINE, available for purchase at ASSOULINE Boutiques worldwide and through www.assouline.com

Space tourist Guy Laliberte snapped this photo of the western region of Mongolia, featuring Lake Har Us Nuur.

Turkey's Euphrates River

ASSOULINE, available for purchase at ASSOULINE Boutiques worldwide and through www.assouline.com

The Euphrates River winds through Turkey in this photo taken from the International Space Station by space tourist Guy Laliberte.

Chad, Africa From Space

ASSOULINE, available for purchase at ASSOULINE Boutiques worldwide and through www.assouline.com

The foot of the Emi Koussi volcano in Chad, photographed by Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte.

Mexico From Space

ASSOULINE, available for purchase at ASSOULINE Boutiques worldwide and through www.assouline.com

The Gulf of California in Mexico is visible from the International Space Station, where space tourist Guy Laliberte looked down and shot this photo.

Mingus Mountain in Arizona

ASSOULINE, available for purchase at ASSOULINE Boutiques worldwide and through www.assouline.com

Arizona, near Mingus Mountain, as seen from space by Guy Laliberte, from his new book "Gaia."

Tibet From Space

ASSOULINE, available for purchase at ASSOULINE Boutiques worldwide and through www.assouline.com

Tibet's Lake Duli Shihu is seen in this photo from space by Guy Laliberte.

Sliver of Earth From Space

ASSOULINE, available for purchase at ASSOULINE Boutiques worldwide and through www.assouline.com

The elusive sliver of light from a shadowed Earth is one of space tourist Guy Laliberte's most prized photos among those he took from the International Space Station in 2009.

Acrobat, Astronauts To Return To Earth

NASA

Spaceflight participant Guy Laliberte is pictured in the Unity node of the International Space Station Oct. 5.

Space Clown to Lighten Mood In Orbit

Space Adventures/ONE DROP Foundation

Guy Laliberte clowns around during training for his space tourist flight to the International Space Station.

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Clara Moskowitz
Assistant Managing Editor

Clara Moskowitz is a science and space writer who joined the Space.com team in 2008 and served as Assistant Managing Editor from 2011 to 2013. Clara has a bachelor's degree in astronomy and physics from Wesleyan University, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She covers everything from astronomy to human spaceflight and once aced a NASTAR suborbital spaceflight training program for space missions. Clara is currently Associate Editor of Scientific American. To see her latest project is, follow Clara on Twitter.