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ISS sees 16 sunrises daily: Earth's longest night a blur
22 Dec, 2025
Summary
- ISS orbits Earth 16 times daily, each orbit lasting 90 minutes.
- Night on the ISS lasts approximately 40 minutes per orbit.
- Winter solstice marked the longest night in the Northern Hemisphere.
Cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov shared breathtaking footage of Earth from the International Space Station (ISS) during the Northern Hemisphere's longest night on December 21st. He explained that from orbit, the experience of 'night' is drastically different, lasting only about 40 minutes. The ISS completes 16 orbits of Earth every 24 hours, with each orbit taking approximately 90 minutes.
This rapid cycling means that light and dark alternate roughly every hour and a half. Kud-Sverchkov noted the footage captured diverse sights, from the city lights of Southeast Asia and China to the aurora over Siberia. This orbital perspective contrasts sharply with the experience on Earth.
On December 21st, Moscow experienced 17 hours of night, the longest of the year. Meanwhile, the shortest daylight in Russia was just 18 minutes in Polyarnye Zori, contrasting with Derbent's longest day of nine hours and seven minutes. The ISS's continuous orbits offer a unique vantage point on these terrestrial cycles.
