scintillation

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scin·til·la·tion / ˌsin(t)lˈāshən/ • n. a flash or sparkle of light. ∎  the process or state of emitting flashes of light. ∎  Physics a small flash of visible or ultraviolet light emitted by fluorescence in a phosphor when struck by a charged particle or high-energy photon. ∎  Astron. the twinkling of the stars, caused by the earth's atmosphere diffracting starlight unevenly.

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