scintillation
sin-tih-LAY-shun
The twinkling of stars, caused by light refracting through turbulent, moisture-laden atmosphere. Stars that twinkle more than usual are forecasting incoming weather — more moisture aloft means more refraction. Pacific Island navigators read the sky this way, noting which part of the horizon twinkled most to predict where weather was arriving.
Etymology
Latin scintillare, to sparkle, from scintilla, a spark.
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