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What causes the distortion of the light from stars that mean we see them twinkling?
Wiki User
∙ 8y ago
The twinkling of stars is caused by the light from them being distorted by the earth's atmosphere.
Wiki User
∙ 8y ago
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Are stars twinkling?
The light passes through our atmosphere; this atmosphere changes all the time. Small changes in density will change the index of refraction, and change the direction of the light; that's what we see as twinkling.
What does a string of twinkling stars mean?
Very shiny
How can you tell a planet from a star in the night sky?
Since a planet's light is reflected it appears to be steady (non twinkling). Star light twinkles.
Why do stars seen twinkling whereas the moon does not?
The stars twinkle because they're balls of gas burning and making their own light, just like the sun. The moon is a solid rock and it doesn't make it's own light. The light from the sun reflects on the moon and that's why we see it.
What causes heat and light in stars?
The heat and the light in stars is the same thermal nuclear fission that our Sun (a star) produces.
Do stars look different from space?
The only difference of the twinkling caused by the distortion of light due to the earths atmosphere which is not present in a vacuum.
What effect causes twinkling of stars?
refraction
Why stars are twinkiling?
Stars twinkle because of distortion due to the Earth's atmosphere. Just as distant objects seem to shimmer in the heat of the desert, the atmosphere bends the path of light from the stars on a second-by-second basis. The effect of this, to the human eye, is a twinkling appearance. In a telescope, this distortion causes blurring of a star's image and slight shifts in its position. It is because of this distortion that telescopes are put into space (high above the atmosphere). Techniques in adaptive optics are proving effective at compensating for this distortion to the aid of ground-based telescopes.
Why do you see stars twinkling but planets do not?
the stars emitt its own light. But the planets do not have any own light. It absorbs the light from the stars like a sun. It just reflects the light. And also the stars are far away from the earth than the planets. So we can found the twinkling of stars but not the planets.
Is twinkling of stars caused by reflaction?
twinkling of stars is caused by refraction
Why do stars seem twinkling whereas the moon doesn't?
because stars have their own light whereas moon gain light from sun which is again a star
Do the stars really twinkle at night?
No. The twinkling is caused by the light of the stars being distorted by Earth's atmosphere, which is in constant motion.
Are stars twinkling?
The light passes through our atmosphere; this atmosphere changes all the time. Small changes in density will change the index of refraction, and change the direction of the light; that's what we see as twinkling.
Why some stars are twinkling not others?
Stars themselves do not twinkle, what gives the appearance of twinkling , is the light passing through our atmosphere, different layers have different temperature's, this makes the light oscillate, much like in a heat haze you think the road has water on it but it doesn't.
What causes a star to twinkle?
That is because the atmosphere has moving pockets of warm and cold area. These move back and forth. When a stars light goes threw the atmosphere, it moves back and forth, just like the warm and cold pockets.-Tgmhc
Why the stars are twinkling?
Stars twinkle because of atmospheric disturbance and turbulence distort the images of stars and make them appear to twinkle or move.
What does a string of twinkling stars mean?
Very shiny
