(a) What is atmospheric refraction ? What causes atmospheric refraction ?
(b) Why do stars twinkle on a clear night ?
(c) Explain why, the planets do not twinkle at night.
(a) What is atmospheric refraction ? What causes atmospheric refraction ?
(b) Why do stars twinkle on a clear night ?
(c) Explain why, the planets do not twinkle at night.
(a)Atmospheric refraction is the deviation of light or other electromagnetic wave from a straight line as it passes through the atmosphere
atmospheric defraction is due to the variation in air density as a function of height.This refraction is due to the velocity of light through air, decreasing (the refractive index increases) with increased density.
(b).On clear night light coming from stars gets refracted in atmosphere and reaches our eyes. Thus image of stars appear somewhat displaced from its actual position. Since atmosphere has both cold and hot air and by changing width of these layers of air light rays bend less and more. So image of stars appear changing its position. This is twinkling of stars
(c)Planets, just like the Sun, do not twinkle. Planetsare also closer to the Earth than those distant stars, so planets appear larger in comparison. Due to the planets' closeness to Earth, the light coming from these celestial bodies does not bend much due to Earth's atmosphere
(a)Atmospheric refraction is the deviation of light or other electromagnetic wave from a straight line as it passes through the atmosphere
atmospheric defraction is due to the variation in air density as a function of height.This refraction is due to the velocity of light through air, decreasing (the refractive index increases) with increased density.
(b).On clear night light coming from stars gets refracted in atmosphere and reaches our eyes. Thus image of stars appear somewhat displaced from its actual position. Since atmosphere has both cold and hot air and by changing width of these layers of air light rays bend less and more. So image of stars appear changing its position. This is twinkling of stars
(c)Planets, just like the Sun, do not twinkle. Planetsare also closer to the Earth than those distant stars, so planets appear larger in comparison. Due to the planets' closeness to Earth, the light coming from these celestial bodies does not bend much due to Earth's atmosphere
