- #1
billy_boy_999
- 131
- 0
why do stars twinkle? (or why do they look like they're twinkling?)
What Causes the Twinkling of Stars?
- Context: High School
- Thread starter billy_boy_999
- Start date
Click For Summary
Discussion Overview
The discussion centers around the phenomenon of star twinkling, exploring the reasons behind this visual effect, its implications, and various interpretations. It includes scientific explanations, speculative ideas, and humorous takes on the topic.
Discussion Character
- Exploratory
- Technical explanation
- Debate/contested
Main Points Raised
- One participant explains that stars appear to twinkle due to the turbulence in the Earth's atmosphere, which causes varying refraction of light from these distant point sources.
- Another participant notes that planets, being closer and having an apparent diameter, do not twinkle in the same way because the light from them is less affected by atmospheric variations.
- A humorous post suggests an alternative theory that stars are trying to communicate with us, proposing a conspiracy involving electronic signals and behavior control.
- One participant mentions that twinkling can contain information useful for astronomical techniques, such as detecting close binary stars and using speckle interferometry to reconstruct images of stars.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants present both scientific explanations and speculative theories, indicating a lack of consensus. While some agree on the atmospheric effects causing twinkling, others introduce unconventional ideas without resolution.
Contextual Notes
The discussion includes varying levels of seriousness, with some posts leaning towards humor and speculation, while others focus on scientific reasoning. The implications of twinkling in astronomical observations are mentioned but not fully explored.
Who May Find This Useful
Readers interested in astronomy, atmospheric science, or those curious about the interplay between scientific explanations and speculative theories may find this discussion engaging.
- #2
Doc Al
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Stars are so far away that they appear as point sources of light. The Earth's atmosphere is turbulent, so the refraction of the light varies from moment to moment. One moment you see the star, the next moment the light doesn't reach your eye: thus it appears to twinkle.
Planets, on the other hand, are close enough that they have an apparent diameter. Thus you can think of the planet's light as being from many points on it's surface. The light from one particular point may disappear momentarily, but it is unlikely that all the light will be refracted away. So the light from planets appears much steadier and less sensitive to slight variations of refractive index in the atmosphere.
Planets, on the other hand, are close enough that they have an apparent diameter. Thus you can think of the planet's light as being from many points on it's surface. The light from one particular point may disappear momentarily, but it is unlikely that all the light will be refracted away. So the light from planets appears much steadier and less sensitive to slight variations of refractive index in the atmosphere.
- #3
Phobos
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Gold Member
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Good question billy boy 999. (& great answer Doc Al)
Don't worry about asking these kinds of questions. They're fun.
Don't worry about asking these kinds of questions. They're fun.
Last edited:
- #4
Messiah
- 155
- 1
Don't Believe A Word Of It . . .
Have you ever logged the on/off sequence of the twinkle. Did you ever try to decode it by using Morse and then looking for a language key.
It is obvious - THEY ARE TRYING TO COMMUNICATE WITH US. Or else they are beaming electronic signals to our brain in hopes of controlling our behaviour (which is why I wear this aluminum foil on my head)
Have you ever logged the on/off sequence of the twinkle. Did you ever try to decode it by using Morse and then looking for a language key.
It is obvious - THEY ARE TRYING TO COMMUNICATE WITH US. Or else they are beaming electronic signals to our brain in hopes of controlling our behaviour (which is why I wear this aluminum foil on my head)
- #5
billy_boy_999
- 131
- 0
lol
thanks guys...it's nice to have a...broad range of scientific opinion on these things...and I've been naively throwing my tin foil in the garbage...
thanks guys...it's nice to have a...broad range of scientific opinion on these things...and I've been naively throwing my tin foil in the garbage...
- #6
Nereid
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You may be interested to know that the twinkling contains information that can be used, e.g. to detect close binaries. Speckle interferometry, for example, uses the 'twinkles' to reconstruct an 'image' of the star. In adaptive optics, all sorts of interesting techniques are used to remove the twinkling ... and this involves pretty deep understanding of the origin and nature of 'twinkles'. Time to re-write the nursery rhyme? 
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