Sunita Williams: Astronaut Who Sees 16 Sunrises and Sunsets Daily
Imagine waking up to a stunning sunrise, only to have the sun set again just 45 minutes later—sounds wild, right? Well, for NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, this is her everyday reality aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
In a memorable talk at the University of Gujarat back in 2013, where she shared the stage with then Chief Minister Narendra Modi, she said, “Because I wanted to go to space and worked hard for it, I was lucky to see 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets in a day from a fast-moving space shuttle.” Can you picture seeing so many breathtaking views in just 24 hours?
The Science of Space Sunrises
So, how does she do it? The ISS travels at a blistering speed of about 28,000 kilometers per hour, orbiting Earth every 90 minutes. That means, in just over an hour, astronauts like Williams experience a new day—flipping from night to day as they zip around the planet. Instead of just two sunrises and sunsets, they get a whopping 16! Talk about an Instagram feed that’s never short on epic sunrise shots!
A Different Day-Night Cycle
While we’re used to a roughly 12-hour day and 12-hour night, astronauts experience a wild 45 minutes of daylight followed by 45 minutes of darkness—16 times a day! It’s a never-ending rollercoaster of light and shadow, and it keeps things exciting. Imagine the cool time-lapse videos you could make!
Keeping Time in Space
In space, forget about traditional clocks and day-night rhythms! Astronauts stick to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to stay organized. Their schedules are super strict, with everything from work to meals planned out in five-minute blocks. It’s like living in a fast-paced video game where you have to level up your time management skills!
To stay connected with folks back on Earth, they use atomic clocks, which are super precise and vital for navigation. Just think about how cool it would be to say you rely on atomic time to keep your life in check!
Sunita’s Epic Journey Continues
Currently, Sunita Williams is in space until February 2025 due to delays with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. Alongside her fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore, she’s diving into exciting research and soaking up the unique experiences that space offers, including those jaw-dropping sunrises and sunsets.
For young dreamers and aspiring astronauts, Williams’ journey is a reminder that with hard work and determination, the sky—quite literally—is the limit! Are you ready to reach for the stars?
