On Earth, a day and night is defined by what people call “sunrise” and “sunset.” But in actuality, it’s not the Sun that rises or sets, it’s the rotation of Earth that causes the planet’s residents to experience days and nights. So, when it comes to space, the mathematical timekeeping of sunrises and sunsets falls apart. In the vacuum of space, clocks tick quicker and astronauts on the Space Station do a full circle of Earth every 90 minutes, experiencing 16 sunsets and sunrises every day, as reported by the European Space Agency (ESA).
Representative Image Source: Unsplash | Tyler Van der Hoeven
Sunrise and sunset are spectacular phenomena and such an intelligent demonstration of nature’s timekeeping. Depending on the wavelength of the colors, light gets scattered in the sky, shifting its colors from red at sunset to blue at sunrise, per The School Observatory.
Since Earth is spherical, about half of the planet is illuminated by the sun at any given time. But the Sun always stays at its position, at the center of the solar system. It appears to rise and set because Earth rotates on its axis, with one rotation completed in 24 hours. But outside Earth, the International Space Station (ISS) travels at a speed of 17,100 miles per hour, according to The Atlantic. This implies, that it completes an orbit around the Earth every 90 minutes, resulting in a total of 16 sunrises and sunsets the astronauts and cosmonauts abroad get to witness.
In a September 2021 tweet, when someone asked whether astronauts feel any temperature difference in their schedule, NASA explained that the temperature difference in space is huge since there is no atmosphere to maintain a comfortable temperature. At sunrise, the temperature is 250 degrees Fahrenheit, and at sunset, it is -250 Fahrenheit. This is why their spacesuits are designed in such a way that their insides remain cool so they can comfortably conduct spacewalks and carry out mission experiments.
According to ESA, the Space Station follows Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), which helps astronauts maintain a consistent schedule, along with regular wake-up and bedtime routines. However, since light exposure is a primary factor that determines the circadian rhythm of a human body, the sleep-and-wake cycle of astronauts is prone to getting disturbed as their bodies can’t maintain a regular circadian rhythm in the environment of microgravity.
Representative Image Source: Pexels | Pixabay
To curb this problem, ESA’s team created “The Circadian Light experiment,” which is basically a lamp designed to support the circadian rhythm of astronauts in space. The lamp is supposed to emit a red glow to simulate a sunset, and blue light to emulate a morning sky. Plus, they also get an in-ear measuring device to keep up with their bodily rhythms. Given that all these factors are taken care of, the witnessing of dozens of sunrises and sunsets becomes a breathtaking phenomenon.
Watch the gorgeous timelapse footage of a sunrise captured by ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst, and later reposted in this YouTube video.
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Representative Image Source: Painting from a series by Ernest Untermann in the museum at Dinosaur National Monument, Utah.
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President Donald J. Trump and photo of a forest.
Public united and adamantly opposes Trump’s plan to roll back the Roadless Rule
There doesn't seem to be much agreement happening in the U.S. right now. Differing moral belief systems, economic disparity, and political divide have made a country with so many positives sometimes feel a little lost. Everyone desperately seeks a niche, a connection, or a strong sense of community to which they can feel a "part of," rather than just "apart."
But there seems to be one thing that the country strongly unites over, and that's the "Roadless Rule." With the Trump Administration attempting to roll back conservation policies that protect U.S. National Forests, Americans are saying in harmony an emphatic "No." A nonpartisan conservation and advocacy organization, the Center for Western Priorities, reviewed a comment analysis on the subject. After receiving 223,862 submissions, a staggering 99 percent are opposed to the president's plan of repeal.
What is the 'Roadless Rule' policy implemented in 2001?
The Roadless Rule has a direct impact on nearly 60 million acres of national forests and grasslands. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the rule prohibits road construction and timber harvests. Enacted in 2001, it is a conservation rule that protects some of the least developed portions of our forests. It's considered to be one of the most important conservation wins in U.S. history.
America's national forests and grasslands are diverse ecosystems, timeless landscapes, and living treasures. They sustain the country with clean water and the wood products necessary to build our communities. The National Parks protected under their umbrella offer incredible recreational retreats and outdoor adventure.
Why does the administration want to roll it back?
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins told the Department of Agriculture in a 2025 press release, “We are one step closer to common sense management of our national forest lands. Today marks a critical step forward in President Trump’s commitment to restoring local decision-making to federal land managers to empower them to do what’s necessary to protect America’s forests and communities from devastating destruction from fires." Rollins continued, “This administration is dedicated to removing burdensome, outdated, one-size-fits-all regulations that not only put people and livelihoods at risk but also stifle economic growth in rural America. It is vital that we properly manage our federal lands to create healthy, resilient, and productive forests for generations to come. We look forward to hearing directly from the people and communities we serve as we work together to implement productive and commonsense policy for forest land management.”
Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz explained the Roadless Rule frustrated land management and acts as a challenging barrier to action. It prohibits road construction needed to navigate wildfire suppression and properly maintain the forest. Schultz said, “The forests we know today are not the same as the forests of 2001. They are dangerously overstocked and increasingly threatened by drought, mortality, insect-borne disease, and wildfire. It’s time to return land management decisions where they belong – with local Forest Service experts who best understand their forests and communities."
Why are people adamantly opposed to the proposed rollback?
A 2025 article in Earthjustice, a nonprofit environmental law organization, expressed its concern over the protection of national forests covering 36 states and Puerto Rico. A rescinded rule allows increased logging, extractive development, and oil and gas drilling in previously undisturbed backcountry. Here is what some community leaders had to say about it:
President Gloria Burns, Ketchikan Indian Community, said, "You cannot separate us from the land. We depend on Congress to update the outdated and predatory, antiquated laws that allow other countries and outside sources to extract our resource wealth. This is an attack on Tribes and our people who depend on the land to eat. The federal government must act and provide us the safeguards we need or leave our home roadless. We are not willing to risk the destruction of our homelands when no effort has been made to ensure our future is the one our ancestors envisioned for us. Without our lungs (the Tongass) we cannot breathe life into our future generations.”
Linda Behnken, executive director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association, stated, "Roadbuilding damaged salmon streams in the past — with 240 miles of salmon habitat still blocked by failed road culverts. The Roadless Rule protects our fishing economy and more than 10,000 jobs provided by commercial fishing in Southeast Alaska.”
The Sierra Club's Forest Campaign Manager Alex Craven seemed quite upset, saying, "The Forest Service followed sound science, economic common sense, and overwhelming public support when they adopted such an important and visionary policy more than 20 years ago. Donald Trump is making it crystal clear he is willing to pollute our clean air and drinking water, destroy prized habitat for species, and even increase the risk of devastating wildfires, if it means padding the bottom lines of timber and mining companies.”
The 2025 recession proposal would apply to nearly 45 million acres of the national forests. With so many people writing in opposition to the consensus, the public has determined they don't want it to happen.
Tongass National Forest is at the center of the Trump administration's intention to roll back the 2001 Roadless Rule. You can watch an Alaska Nature Documentary about the wild salmon of Tongass National Forrest here:
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The simple truth is we elect our public officials to make decisions. The hope is they do this for all of our well-being, although often it seems they do not. Even though we don't have much power to control what government officials do, voicing our opinions strongly enough often forces them to alter their present course of action. With a unanimous public voice saying, "No!" maybe this time they will course correct as the public wishes.