Question

Why do \(\color{blue}{\mathsf{Stars}}\) twinkle and \(\color{green}{\mathsf{Planets}}\) do not ??

Answer 1

What are you doing in Biology Section @Mukushla ??

Answer 2

well there is no math group...

Answer 3

Ha ha ha...

But there are Chemistry and Physics Groups too..

Answer 4

haH..

Answer 5

Now help me if you know the answer for this..

Otherwise, I will start posting Maths question here..

Ha ha ha...

Answer 6

Can I help?

I know why stars twinkle.

The air in our earth's atmosphere is constantly moving.

And as the light of a star travels through space, and toward Earth, it has to go through all the layers of Earth's atmosphere.

The earth's atmosphere causes the light of the star to bend, and zig-zag, multiple times. This makes it look as though a star is twinkling.

Stars are so far away that their light is a very narrow pinpoint, from where we are. It's easy for our atmosphere to bend this pinpoint light.

But planets are big. And they're much closer to us than stars. That's why they don't twinkle like stars. It's not easy for the atmosphere to bend the light coming from a planet.

(Sometimes planets do twinkle, when we see them from a certain angle. But usually, they won't.)

Answer 7

There's a math group for you, mukushla.

Answer 8

For help, never ask @InYourHead

Now let me read what you have written..

And Math Section is not working..

Answer 9

Okay. I got it now..

Thank you..

Because stars are far away than planets and their size being smaller and due to various different layers between earth and stars, they twinkle due to effect of bending of light coming from them..

Answer 10

You wanna know something? I'm not very knowledgeable in astronomy, and we know that planets are big, but I HAVE heard that stars are typically bigger than planets.

But yeah, since they're so far away from earth, their light is like a pinpoint. And that's why they twinkle, yes.

Answer 11

Can you explain it for "exponential degree' ??

Answer 12

And I want an answer that I can understand not a simpler answer that I can't..

@InYourHead gave quite logical answer I believe..

Answer 13

Stars actually don't twinkle outside of the earth's atmosphere.

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/43402
http://www.rand.org/pubs/papers/P4062.html

There was a debate once, on whether the atmosphere is the reason for why stars twinkle, when we see them from here, on Earth.

It turns out that the atmosphere is the reason for why stars twinkle.
The debate was settled by Walter Cunningham, an astronaut on the Apollo 7 mission.

Answer 14

Is sun is twinkling let us say in actual then can you see it twinkling ??

Answer 15

Nope, sun doesn't twinkle.

Answer 16

Yeah, I know that..

Answer 17

Sorry, waterineyes, I thought you were asking me.

Answer 18

Anyway, I honestly can't pretend to be some kind of astronomy expert. I'm not. But I'm glad this information helped you out.

Answer 19

Lol I didn't even know that stars emit electromagnetic radiation. I definitely can't say that they're non-existent.

Is that the reason for why they emit light?

I mean I know why starlight twinkles!

But could you be talking about the reason for why stars emit light? Instead of the reason for why that light twinkles?

Answer 20

Oh well now I get it. So then...stars emit light through electromagnetic radiation.

And then that light twinkles as it passes through our atmosphere.

Thanks. I learned something. =)

Answer 21

Thanks to both of you..


We had a great time discussing this topic..

All of us have learned something and that is really great..

Answer 22

Thanks @InYourHead and @nincompoop for your help..