Question

Explain Why the planets do not twinkle




Class 10 science chapter 11

Answer in 30-40 words

Answer 1

 Stars twinkle because they appear as tiny pinpoints as seen from Earth, even through telescopes.Planets don't twinkle because they are closer, and thus appear larger in our sky, as tiny disks instead of pinpoints.

Answer 2

Answer:

Unlike stars that twinkle at night, planets do not. Instead they shine steadily due to the distance between these planets. Unlike stars that are so far away from earth that even in the most powerful of telescopes they look merely like dots or points and appear to twinkle due to “refraction” when they enter the  earth’s atmosphere. But planets are much more closer to earth. Their appearance is that of tiny disks through telescopes. When the light from these planets enters the earth’s atmosphere they also go through refraction. But light from both the ends of the planet, travel away from each other in opposite direction, thus cancelling each other’s effects. So they appear steadily instead of twinkling like stars.