Ever notice a star that twinkles in multiple colors? Here’s why!
“This is because of scintillation (“Twinkling”) as the light passes through the atmosphere of the Earth. As the air moves in and out, the starlight is refracted, often different colors in different directions. Because of this “chromatic abberation,” stars can appear to change colors when they are twinkling strongly.”
—March 1999, Dave Kornreich
To capture these colors, I set up a telephoto lens on such a star during a recent trip to Trona Pinnacles, and then gave the tripod a sharp tap to make the star “wander” around the frame, leaving a light trail behind it, showing the changing colors.
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