The starry sky is always mesmerizing. Bright stars, located not high above the horizon, twinkle, shimmering in different colors. This especially beautiful sight is best seen immediately after rain and on frosty nights when there are few clouds on the horizon.
The twinkling of the stars is an amazing sight. Modern stargazers have come to the conclusion that the twinkling has nothing to do with changes in the stars. There are cold and hot air currents in the atmosphere. Where warm layers pass over cold ones, air vortices are formed, under the influence of which the light rays are bent, and the position of the star changes.
The brightness of a star changes due to the fact that rays of light, deflected incorrectly, are unevenly concentrated above the surface of the planet. At the same time, the entire starry landscape is constantly shifting and changing due to atmospheric phenomena, for example, due to wind. The observer of the stars finds himself now in a more illuminated region, then, on the contrary, in a more shaded one.
If you want to watch the twinkling of the stars, then keep in mind that at the zenith, in a calm atmosphere, you can only occasionally detect this phenomenon. If you turn your gaze to celestial objects closer to the horizon, you will find that they flicker much more. This is due to the fact that you look at the stars through a denser layer of air, and, accordingly, you see more air currents with your gaze. You will not notice changes in the color of stars located at an altitude of more than 50 °. But you will find frequent color changes in stars below 35 °. Sirius shimmers very beautifully, shimmering with all the colors of the spectrum, especially in the winter months, low above the horizon.
The strong twinkling of the stars proves the heterogeneity of the atmosphere, which is associated with various meteorological phenomena. Therefore, many people think that the flicker is related to the weather. It often gains strength when atmospheric pressure is low, temperatures drop, humidity increases, etc. But the state of the atmosphere depends on so many different factors that at the moment it is not possible to predict the weather from the twinkling of stars.
This phenomenon keeps its mysteries and ambiguities. It is assumed that it intensifies at dusk. It can be both an optical illusion and a consequence of the unusual atmospheric changes that often occur at this time of day. It is believed that the twinkling of the stars is due to the aurora borealis. But this is very difficult to explain when you consider that the northern lights are located at an altitude of over 100 km. In addition, it remains a mystery why white stars twinkle less than red ones.
