Stars twinkle because of:
A) interstellar dust.
B) surface variations on the stars.
C) atmospheric turbulence.
D) opacity variations.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Stars appear to twinkle or shimmer in the night sky because of atmospheric turbulence. The Earth's atmosphere consists of layers of varying temperature and density, which bend and refract the light passing through them at different angles. As the light from a star enters the atmosphere, it gets refracted and bent multiple times, leading to tiny variations in its apparent position and intensity on the observer's retina. This random motion of light rays creates the effect of twinkling or scintillation, which is most noticeable when a star is low in the sky, or when its light passes through more layers of atmosphere.

Stars Twinkle Because Of