As light from a far off star comes down towards the earth:(a) it bends away from the normal(b) it bends towards the normal(c) it does not bend at all(d) it is reflected back

(b) it bends towards the normal

Explanation

As the light from a far-off star comes towards the earth, it bends towards the normal because the air is denser near the surface of the earth.

When the light coming from the star enters the earth's atmosphere, it gets refracted (bent), as it leaves space (a vacuum). In the atmosphere air higher up in the sky is rarer but nearer the earth's surface, it is denser. Thus, as the light from the star comes down, the dense air bends the light more. Hence, due to this refraction of star's light, the star appears to be at a higher position than it actually is.

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Updated on: 10-Oct-2022

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