Why Do The Stars Twinkle? - Cool Cosmos - Caltech

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Stars

  • How far away are the stars?
  • Will we ever travel to the stars?
  • Why are some stars bright and others dim?
  • Why do stars only come out at night?
  • What are constellations?
  • Why do the stars twinkle?
  • Is the Sun the largest star?
  • Which star is closest to us?
  • How many stars are there?
  • How many stars can you see at night?
  • What are stars made of?
  • What is a star?
Why do the stars twinkle?

Stars do not really twinkle, they just appear to twinkle when seen from the surface of Earth. The stars twinkle in the night sky because of the effects of our atmosphere. When starlight enters our atmosphere it is affected by winds in the atmosphere and by areas with different temperatures and densities. This causes the light from the star to twinkle when seen from the ground.

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