Re: A rant from Bill Maher's recent show:

James Schrumpf wrote:

OK, here's a question for our Astronomer Royal: why don't planets twinkle?

I've been told from childhood that you can tell the planets because they don't twinkle, and that stars do because the atmosphere makes their light waver.

But the planets' light comes through that same atmosphere, so why _don't_ they twinkle as well?


Stars are unresolved point sources, whereas planets are resolved. see Phil Plait's description:

http://www.badastronomy.com/bitesize/twinkle.html

and, as phil points out, planets *can* twinkle if the atmosphere is turbulent enough.

--
chris
"my point? #@&*! you, that's my point." -- Bucky Katt
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: An Encounter with Kent Hovind
    ... stars are stars in the common usage....which means all the twinkly bits ... that we see in the night sky. ... But the planets don't generally twinkle. ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: An Encounter with Kent Hovind
    ... stars are stars in the common usage....which means all the twinkly ... that we see in the night sky. ... But the planets don't generally twinkle. ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: A rant from Bill Mahers recent show:
    ... I've been told from childhood that you can tell the planets because they don't twinkle, and that stars do because the atmosphere makes their light waver. ...
    (rec.sport.football.college)
  • Re: A rant from Bill Mahers recent show:
    ... I've been told from childhood that you can tell the planets because ... they don't twinkle, and that stars do because the atmosphere makes ... But the planets' light comes through that same atmosphere, ... Stars are unresolved point sources, ...
    (rec.sport.football.college)
  • Re: A rant from Bill Mahers recent show:
    ... I've been told from childhood that you can tell the planets because ... they don't twinkle, and that stars do because the atmosphere makes ... But the planets' light comes through that same atmosphere, ... Stars are unresolved point sources, ...
    (rec.sport.football.college)