if you're previous post explains why it is flickering red & blue, then why isn't the atmosphere making all other stars flicker this same way ? . . .your logic just doesn't seem logical to me

Its location near the horizon also means that in order to see it we are looking through more atmosphere than when we look at stars that are overhead. In the winter, as Capella moves higher into the sky, strange sightings of this flickering light will be reduced. Other stars fall prey to this same twinkling effect when near the horizon, but Capella's brightness and time of year, being up as the sky grows dark early again for winter, makes it especially noticeable

A technical word for "twinkling" is scintillation. Another ten dollar term for this effect is atmospheric prismatic dispersion. This simply means that the atmosphere is acting like a giant prism, separating it into the colors that you see in the twinkling. This effect is not very strong when looking straight up through 100 kilometers of atmosphere.

Thank you for the much needed elaborated explanation.
So based on this explanation, as the star raises high into the night sky, the twinkling will appear the same as other stars?

Anyone seen this other than on the horizon? If it's only occurring on the horizon then this has been debunked.

Originally posted by TupacShakur
reply to post by lurker007

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Thank you for the much needed elaborated explanation.
So based on this explanation, as the star raises high into the night sky, the twinkling will appear the same as other stars?

Correctamundo, the flickering increases as the star approaches the horizon, and declines as the star approaches directly overhead.

Anyone seen this other than on the horizon? If it's only occurring on the horizon then this has been debunked.

No it still happens directly overhead, it's just not as profound and noticeable.

So? We already know that the atmosphere makes the starlight flicker. Why is that reason to stop the discussion on this particular star? No one said the flicker was the curious part. They are talking about it changing colors and appearing to be closer. Thanks for your little bit of science here. Much appreciated. Now dont talk with your mouth full.

A technical word for "twinkling" is scintillation. Another ten dollar term for this effect is atmospheric prismatic dispersion. This simply means that the atmosphere is acting like a giant prism, separating it into the colors that you see in the twinkling. This effect is not very strong when looking straight up through 100 kilometers of atmosphere.