General Science • PhysicsMedium
Which optical phenomenon causes twinkling of stars observed from the surface of the Earth during clear nights?
A. Refraction of starlight through varying layers of the turbulent atmosphere✓ Correct Answer
B. Dispersion of light through interstellar dust clouds
C. Total internal reflection of light rays inside atmospheric moisture
D. Diffraction of light around lunar craters and obstacles
💡 Solution & Explanation
Twinkling of stars or stellar scintillation occurs because starlight travels through successive layers of the Earth's atmosphere having varying temperatures, densities, and refractive indices, causing the light rays to continuously bend along slightly erratic paths before reaching the observer. Planets do not twinkle noticeably because they appear as extended sources of light rather than point sources. Light from planets averages out the fluctuations.
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