Question

Explain why planets do not twinkle?

Answer 1

Planet:

1. A planet is a celestial body that is revolving in an orbit around the Sun.
2. A planet has much mass for its self-gravity to overcome its own body forces so that it assumes a kind of equilibrium (nearly round) shape.
3. Examples are earth, Jupiter, and Saturn all orbiting around the sun.

Planets don't twinkle:

1. The optical phenomenon of the twinkling of stars is due to atmospheric refraction.
2. The light coming from a far distance star is refracted through the atmosphere.
3. The twinkling of stars is caused by varying optical properties of air at a point which changes the path traveled by the beam of light coming from stars with time
4. Planets, do not twinkle because they are closer to the earth than those stars. Also, planets appear larger in comparison.
5. As the angle subtended by the planets at the human eye is more, the shift in their position(as compared to stars) is smaller. Since the shift is smaller, they do not twinkle.
6. Planets don't have their own energy, They reflect the light emitted by any star, Say the sun in our case.
7. So planets don't twinkle and the stars do.

Therefore, planets do not twinkle due to their distance being less compared to a star.