Question

Why do stars twinkle when we see from the Earth?

• A. Because the light coming from the stars travels long distances.
• B. Because some parts of the star emit more energy than other parts.
• C. Because the light coming from the stars gets refracted by the atmosphere.
• D. Because the Earth rotates about its own axis.

Answer 1

The correct option is C Because the light coming from the stars gets refracted by the atmosphere.

Stars appear to twinkle because the light coming from the stars gets refracted by the Earth’s atmosphere. If we look at the star from outside of the Earth atmosphere, the star will appear perfectly still.