2006-07-09 20:28:06 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
The scientific name for the twinkling of stars is stellar scintillation (or astronomical scintillation). Stars twinkle when we see them from the Earth's surface because we are viewing them through thick layers of turbulent (moving) air in the Earth's atmosphere.
Stars (except for the Sun) appear as tiny dots in the sky; as their light travels through the many layers of the Earth's atmosphere, the light of the star is bent (refracted) many times and in random directions (light is bent when it hits a change in density - like a pocket of cold air or hot air). This random refraction results in the star winking out (it looks as though the star moves a bit, and our eye interprets this as twinkling).
Stars closer to the horizon appear to twinkle more than stars that are overhead - this is because the light of stars near the horizon has to travel through more air than the light of stars overhead and so is subject to more refraction. Also, planets do not usually twinkle, because they are so close to us; they appear big enough that the twinkling is not noticeable (except when the air is extremely turbulent).
Stars would not appear to twinkle if we viewed them from outer space (or from a planet/moon that didn't have an atmosphere).
2006-07-09 20:31:35 · answer #1 · answered by User 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Stars do not blink, our atmosphere is moving all the time, changing its pressure, moister amounts, etc., but when the atmosphere moves it causes things in space to seem to blink, but this is a natural phenomenon.
2006-07-10 11:50:06 · answer #2 · answered by Dave 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The scientific name for the twinkling of stars is stellar scintillation (or astronomical scintillation). Stars twinkle when we see them from the Earth's surface because we are viewing them through thick layers of turbulent (moving) air in the Earth's atmosphere.
Stars (except for the Sun) appear as tiny dots in the sky; as their light travels through the many layers of the Earth's atmosphere, the light of the star is bent (refracted) many times and in random directions (light is bent when it hits a change in density - like a pocket of cold air or hot air). This random refraction results in the star winking out (it looks as though the star moves a bit, and our eye interprets this as twinkling).
Stars closer to the horizon appear to twinkle more than stars that are overhead - this is because the light of stars near the horizon has to travel through more air than the light of stars overhead and so is subject to more refraction. Also, planets do not usually twinkle, because they are so close to us; they appear big enough that the twinkling is not noticeable (except when the air is extremely turbulent).
Stars would not appear to twinkle if we viewed them from outer space (or from a planet/moon that didn't have an atmosphere)
I hope this might help u ..
Shash ;)
2006-07-10 03:43:34 · answer #3 · answered by wannaknoabtme 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
stars do not blink but appear to be blinking. it is because the light coming from them has to pass through atmosphere before reaching our eyes. there is a phenomenon called refraction ( the light bends when it passes through two mediums of different densities) and as our atmoshphere has many layers of different densities the light bends many times before reaching our eyes and thus stars appear to be blinking.
2006-07-10 03:46:30 · answer #4 · answered by abhay 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Stars only give off so many photons. So as these photons get further and further away they spread out more. Since our eyes percieve light from these photons we see objects as they are because of a steady stream of photons hitting our eyes.
Stars twinkle because the photons are refeacted and bounced around in our atmosphere hitting air molecules and such, so we dont have a steady stream of photons hitting our eyes at all times. So they appear to blink in and out.
2006-07-10 03:32:07 · answer #5 · answered by jetteleigh 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
stars appear to TWINKLE not blink.....due to to refraction in the earth's atmosphere
2006-07-10 06:37:48 · answer #6 · answered by Vasudha 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because
sun and stars can;t blink
2006-07-10 05:02:21 · answer #7 · answered by khushi 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
everyone blinks, but usally when someone is lying or making something up they blink alot, ask any cop.
2006-07-10 03:30:37 · answer #8 · answered by Joe B 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
LOOK at ans # 2. HE IS RIGHT! HOW ever, where I live I can see Starz for ever!!! deeeep SPACE!!!! They are just there doing their JOB!!!
2006-07-10 03:35:55 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Stars are people, too...
2006-07-10 03:35:43 · answer #10 · answered by :.~**GUERAPOLLERA**~.: 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋