Stars seem to twinkle because the air above us is moving and changing. Imagine you're looking at a light through a wobbly glass, it makes the light look like it's flickering. The same thing happens with stars in the sky, and that’s called light bending.
Examples
- If you're looking at a streetlight through rippling water, it seems to flicker like the stars twinkle in the sky.
- On a hot summer day, the road ahead appears wavy, this is similar to how starlight bends as it passes through the atmosphere.
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See also
- What are reflecting telescopes?
- How does telescope design work?
- Why does the moon appear larger on the horizon than overhead?
- Why Is The Sky Blue In The Day And Black At Night?
- Why Can't We See the Moon During the Day?