What distinct behavior do true stars exhibit that planets like Venus do not, due to atmospheric effects?
Answer
Twinkling (scintillation)
A fundamental way to distinguish planets from stars, even when both appear as bright points of light, is through their behavior regarding atmospheric interference. Stars are so incredibly distant that their light reaches Earth as a true point source. As this light passes through Earth's turbulent atmosphere, distortion causes rapid, noticeable shifts in apparent position and brightness, which is perceived as twinkling or scintillation. Planets, conversely, are much closer and appear as miniature disks. This slightly larger angular size allows the atmospheric blurring effects to be averaged out across the visible surface, resulting in a steady, unwavering glow.
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