Why does Saturn flicker?

[riflemannl]

Hey people,<br /><br />I was watching the sky this evening (from inside the house, too cold outside in my pyama's ) and I saw Saturn (StarryNight helped finding it). It was 'flickering' (if this is the wrong word, sorry for my english, i'm dutch <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />). Or well.. like 'twinckling'. Is there a special reason for this or..?

 

[tfwthom]

seeing <br />the quality of observing conditions induced by turbulence in Earth’s atmosphere, which blurs the images of astronomical objects <br /><br />Could be from high clouds, moisture, humidity, dust, a fire, light reflecting on anything, etc <br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1" color="#3366ff">www.siriuslookers.org</font> </div>

 

[Saiph]

however, if it was twinkling, it's most likely you were not observing saturn, but a nearby bright star.<br /><br />Planets, due to their extended "disk" (i.e. we can see them as something other than a point of light) tend not to flicker, twinkle, and whatnot, unless there are very strong atmospheric disturbances. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p align="center"><font color="#c0c0c0"><br /></font></p><p align="center"><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">--------</font></em></font><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">--------</font></em></font><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">----</font></em></font><font color="#666699">SaiphMOD@gmail.com </font><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">-------------------</font></em></font></p><p><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">"This is my Timey Wimey Detector.  Goes "bing" when there's stuff.  It also fries eggs at 30 paces, wether you want it to or not actually.  I've learned to stay away from hens: It's not pretty when they blow" -- </font></em></font><font size="1" color="#999999">The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>