Why do stars twinkle: Stars twinkle

Stars twinkle , while planets (usually) shine steadily. Why ? Stars twinkle because they’re so far away from Earth that, even through large telescopes, they appear only as pinpoints. Why do stars appear twinkling? Stars appear to twinkle because the Earth’s atmosphere consists of several layers with varying densities, resulting in different refractive indices. The air is also in constant motion due to convection currents caused by factors like wind and temperature changes. As light rays from a star pass through the atmosphere, they continuously change direction due to these shifting refractive indices. This causes the number of light rays reaching an observer’s eye on ... What makes stars appear to twinkle in the night sky, as seen from Earth? And why is it that stars twinkle , but planets do not? Learn how light, air, and physics create the twinkle of stars in this fascinating article. Discover the difference between stars and planets, the role of atmospheric turbulence, and the history of star gazing.