Multiple choice general knowledge science & technology

Planets do not twinkle because

  1. they emit light of a constant intensity

  2. their distance from the earth does not change with time

  3. they are very far away from the earth resulting in decrease in intensity of light

  4. they are nearer to earth and hence we receive a greater amount of light and, therefore minor variations in the intensity are not noticeable
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Planets are much closer to Earth than stars, so they appear as extended light sources rather than point sources. The greater amount of light received means minor atmospheric variations that cause twinkling in stars are not noticeable in planets. Planets don't emit constant light (they reflect sunlight), and their distance from Earth does change.

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