Quantcast
I would like to know why stars twinkle. | Almanac.com

I would like to know why stars twinkle.

Print Friendly and PDF
I would like to know why stars twinkle.
Answer
Stars twinkle because their light is refracted by air molecules. Astronomers also call this atmospheric scintillation. When starlight passes through the molecules, it gets bent just as a stick is bent by refraction when you put it in water.