How do stars typically differ from planets like Venus in terms of atmospheric distortion effects?
Answer
Stars appear as point sources, so distortion affects the entire beam, while planets appear as disks where distortion averages out.
Stars are so distant they act as point sources, making their light path easily deflected by atmospheric turbulence. Planets appear as disks, meaning distortion on one edge is often counteracted by distortion on another, leading to a typically steady appearance.
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