How is it that stars appear to twinkle?

Answer 1

The reason the stars twinkle is because there are cells of different temperature in the outer atmosphere. Some are hotter and have less air and some are colder and have more air. At the distance we see them they appear to be like tiny differing lenses that refract the light from pinpoint stars in different ways and colors. That's what astronomers are referring to when the talk about the "seeing" at night. If there are fewer cells and the atmosphere is more uniform then the stars twinkle less, and vice verse.

The reason the planets twinkle much less is because the disk that we see is larger than the refraction cells in the atmosphere.

Answer 2

Stars twinkle because they are emiting light unlike other celestial bodies. The light than travels over ver vast distances where it hits your eyes. This is when you see the twinkle of that light.

Answer 3

The light from billions of light years away plus our thick light retracting atmosphere causes normal stars to twinkle. Plus there are things called pulsars! Look them up sometime!

Answer 4

I'd say refraction.

But when starts start to twinkle to me, I get my eyes checked--it means my astigmatism is getting worse. Or I'm getting a migraine. Part of it might be perception, and eye fatigue.

Answer 5

when proper maintenance is not done, the connecting wires seem to gradually get short circuitted and u see a flickering activity among the stars and das why they appear to be twinkling in da sky..

or may be clouds blok our view of the star

Answer 6

light from the stars refracting from passage through the atmosphere.

Answer 7

it is because there is gas' on the stars (planets) that is what make them blink red and blue they blink more and r brighter as they get older and are going to burn out. !

Answer 8

gases in the atmosphere