2007-07-11 19:06:49 · 10 answers · asked by phatmazdarx7 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Atmospheric interference. The earth's atmosphere causes the stars to twinkle.
2007-07-11 19:12:48 · answer #1 · answered by CJS 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
People often note that stars appear as though they twinkle (fluctuate in apparent intensity). It's due to upper level atmospheric disturbances that cause variations in the density of the air between your eyes and the stars. If you were able to view the stars from space, above Earth's atmosphere, they would not twinkle at all.
This is the primary reason to have something like the Hubble Space Telescope. It sits above the blurring affects of the atmosphere and can see objects much more clearly. Ground-based telescopes are now employing technology that provides the same benefit but without having to go to space. They use lasers to project an artificial star. An instrument gauges how the atmosphere distorts the image of that artificial star relative to how it should look without any disturbance. The telescope is then able to counteract that distortion by adjusting refractive or reflective elements in the telescope at several times per second. This "adaptive" optics in combination with "interferometry" (using 2 telescopes as one to get the resolving power of one huge telescope) is allowing ground-based telescopes to out-perform the resolution of Hubble... and saving the launch and maintenance costs of putting a complex device in space.
Now that was just way too long of an answer. Sorry about that. :)
2007-07-12 02:18:33 · answer #2 · answered by Daniel P 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Stars 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. 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
2007-07-12 02:20:00 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
hi!
u know stars are a lot far from us! many things can be between we and them. rocks in outer space or even our atmosphere!
things move, move from front of each other and can effect the light of stars
i have to tell you, u can find stars without any blinking!
also know this! they are as far as u can see the light of an star which has destroyed many years ago! it light comes to us for example after 10 light years!
good luck!
titish.lovely
2007-07-12 02:29:51 · answer #4 · answered by Ttish 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
This is caused by the fluctuations in the earths atmosphere; clouds, gasses, etc. The stars (or suns) themselves shine constant with no "blinking."
If you are really into astronomy, I highly recommend the DVD (or video) series "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan. IT'S FANTASTIC!!!
2007-07-12 02:18:07 · answer #5 · answered by Tim O 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Because their light gets alittle distorted as it comes in through our atmosphere... It's alittle bit like when you see something through "heat ripples" coming off the pavement on a hot day... Having 50 odd miles of moving air to shine through- makes the stars look "twinkly" from the ground.
2007-07-12 02:19:52 · answer #6 · answered by Joseph, II 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
This is caused by the atmospheric distortions. In space, the stars are seen as pinpoints.
2007-07-12 02:14:30 · answer #7 · answered by ? 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is the air and the wind which carries a small parts of the cloud that interfere our eyes on seeing the stars,I heard of that many times before.
2007-07-12 02:28:38 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
The earth's movement causes the atmospere to distort the stars light as it nears earth
2007-07-12 03:16:34 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
they are shining
2007-07-15 14:04:43 · answer #10 · answered by louis g 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋