Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: Version 1.0 Netnews CMS/BITNET 5/19/85; site PSUVM.BITNET Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!whuxlm!harpo!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!rochester!cmu-cs-pt!cadre!psuvax1!psuvm.bitnet!gms From: GMS@psuvm.BITNET Newsgroups: net.astro Subject: Re: StarDate: June 11 Where the Stars Don't Twinkle Message-ID: <1881GMS@psuvm> Date: Mon, 24-Jun-85 15:39:46 EDT Article-I.D.: psuvm.1881GMS Posted: Mon Jun 24 15:39:46 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 29-Jun-85 01:40:59 EDT References: <224@utastro.UUCP> 71@denelvx.UUCP Lines: 14 Actually, planets will be seen to twinkle if they are near the horizon, or if the air is extremely unsteady. (Check out Jupiter or Venus just after they have risen) The fact that they normally do not appear to twinkle is a spinoff of the fact thet they are much nearer to us. Since they are relatively close, they present tiny disks which, although not discernable by naked eye, are significantly larger than the very tiny apparant disks of the stars. Thus while the light waves are still refracted about, the effect is somewhat mediated by the larger apparant disks of the planets. Gerry Santoro Penn State University . . . !psuvax1!santoro . . . !psuvax1!psuvm.bitnet!gms