Why do stars flicker?

Question

Why do stars flicker and planets don't? At least this is what I've read online and seen on the night sky. I've heard that it has to do something with the fact that stars emit light and planets reflect it. But I don't get it, isn't this light, just "light"? What happens to the reflected light that it doesn't flicker anymore?I was thinking that it has to do something with Earth's atmosphere, different temperatures or something (if this has any role at all).

Answer 1

Hello!

The light from the star has to travel quite a distance before it reaches your eyes! As it makes its way through oir atmosphere, this light can become bent and also reflected slightly due to winds. We ultimately see this as flickering or twinkling. However, stars actually have a pretty steady stream of light. We just see it as such.

Hope this helps!