OtterKnow Kids EncyclopediaHave you ever noticed that stars seem to sparkle and twinkle in the night sky? That twinkling is not actually happening out in space. It is caused by Earth’s atmosphere! The air above us makes starlight dance and shimmer before it reaches our eyes.
Starlight has to travel through layers and layers of air to reach your eyes. These layers of air have different temperatures and keep moving around. As the light passes through them, it gets bent and bounced in different directions. This makes the star look like it is flickering and twinkling! Planets do not twinkle as much because they are closer and their light is steadier.
- If you were in space where there is no atmosphere, stars would not twinkle at all.
- They would shine with a steady, calm light.
- Stars near the horizon twinkle more because their light has to travel through more air to reach you.
- Telescopes in space, like Hubble, get clearer pictures because there is no air to make the starlight wiggle!
