What are faraway flickers?

Faraway flickers are like tiny lights that seem to pop up and disappear when you look at something far away, kind of like when you're looking at a streetlamp from across the playground.

Imagine you're watching a firefly on a dark night. It blinks on and off, that’s a flicker. Now imagine you’re looking at many tiny fireflies all together, but they’re very far away. From your spot, it might look like the whole sky is twinkling or blinking, that's what we call faraway flickers.

Think about how a flickering light bulb in your room can make shadows dance on the wall. Faraway flickers are kind of like that, but from way across town or even in another city! They happen because lights far away can be blocked by clouds, trees, or buildings, just like when you cover part of a flashlight with your hand and it seems to get dimmer.

Sometimes they’re stars twinkling in the sky. Sometimes they're lights on top of tall buildings, like giant streetlamps!