The sunrise and sunset are some of the most beautiful sights on earth. They color the sky with orange, red and golden colors. But have you ever thought that astronauts in space would also experience something similar? Well, let’s find out.
**Sunrise in space**
The International Space Station revolves around the Earth at a speed of about 28,000 kilometers per hour. Because of this tremendous speed, the station makes a complete orbit around the Earth every 90 minutes. This means that astronauts aboard the International Space Station see the sun rise and set once every 45 minutes. In a full 24 hours, they see the sun rise and set about 16 times. Unlike people on Earth, who experience a gradual change from day to night every 24 hours, astronauts cycle back and forth between light and dark repeatedly during the day.
**What does sunrise look like in space?**
Sunrise looks completely different in space. This is because there is no atmosphere in space. On Earth, the atmosphere scatters sunlight; Due to which, the sky appears blue during the day and colorful in the evening when the sun sets. However, in space the sky always appears completely black – no matter how brightly the sun is shining.
**In space, day turns to night in the blink of an eye**
Another big difference between Earth and space is how fast this change occurs. On Earth, the sun slowly sets, and the sky gradually darkens over time. In space, this change happens almost instantaneously. As the International Space Station passes behind Earth, the sunlight disappears within seconds. The astronauts are suddenly plunged into complete darkness.
Experiencing this cycle of day and night 16 times a day can disrupt the human body’s natural sleep cycle. On Earth, the body relies on the natural 24-hour cycle of day and night to regulate its sleep, energy, and hormones. To avoid sleep-related problems and fatigue, astronauts aboard the International Space Station follow a fixed schedule based on Earth time. A special LED lighting system installed inside the station has been designed in such a way that it can create a similar experience to the natural environment of day and night.
