Request a call back

Join NOW to get access to exclusive study material for best results

CBSE Class 10 Answered

Twinkling of stars
Asked by | 31 May, 2008, 07:17: PM
answered-by-expert Expert Answer

The atmosphere consists of a number of parallel layers of air of varying densities and different refractive indices. The variation in densities of different layers is due to different temperatures and pressures.The density and refractive index of different layers goes on decreasing as we move to higher altitudes. 

Light coming from the stars travels through the many layers of the Earth's atmosphere and therefore it suffers multiple refractions. As a result, the light of the star is bent (refracted) many times and in random directions (light is bent when it hits a change in density - like a pocket of cold air or hot air). This random refraction results in the star twinkling out (it looks as though the star moves a bit, and our eye interprets this as twinkling).

regards,toppers expert

Answered by | 03 Jun, 2008, 01:54: PM
CBSE 10 - Physics
Asked by saritavishwakarma1986 | 04 Jan, 2024, 12:23: PM
ANSWERED BY EXPERT ANSWERED BY EXPERT
CBSE 10 - Physics
Asked by udaykuna006 | 16 Jul, 2023, 07:20: PM
ANSWERED BY EXPERT ANSWERED BY EXPERT
CBSE 10 - Physics
Asked by bhu.joshi54 | 08 Aug, 2022, 07:36: PM
ANSWERED BY EXPERT ANSWERED BY EXPERT
CBSE 10 - Physics
Asked by abhishekuppala598 | 06 Feb, 2022, 09:30: PM
ANSWERED BY EXPERT ANSWERED BY EXPERT
CBSE 10 - Physics
Asked by satishkumaridup | 12 Aug, 2021, 12:23: AM
ANSWERED BY EXPERT ANSWERED BY EXPERT
CBSE 10 - Physics
Asked by Ankit9142110345 | 20 May, 2021, 09:58: PM
ANSWERED BY EXPERT ANSWERED BY EXPERT
CBSE 10 - Physics
Asked by roysouvik862 | 25 Dec, 2020, 06:24: PM
ANSWERED BY EXPERT ANSWERED BY EXPERT
Get Latest Study Material for Academic year 24-25 Click here
×