Book 8, Question 79
Why Do Astronauts on the Space Station See About 16 Sunrises a Day?
Astronauts see about 16 sunrises a day because the space station circles Earth super fast! The station orbits Earth about every 90 minutes. So it passes from daylight into darkness and back again about 16 times each day.
More fun facts
- The space station circles Earth about 220 miles (354 kilometers) up.
- It completes one trip around the globe about every 92 minutes.
- At that speed, astronauts get 15 or 16 sunrises and sunsets every day.
- An orbital sunrise lights up cloud tops below the station, and astronauts often photograph it.
- During a solar eclipse, astronauts on the station can sometimes see the Moon's shadow sliding across Earth.
Questions kids ask
How long is one lap around Earth for the space station?
About 92 minutes.