Why Does Water Sparkle in Sunlight? | RapidSmartFacts

When sunlight hits water, it sparkles like tiny stars. But why does

water shine so brightly? It starts with water’s surface acting like millions of

tiny mirrors. Each ripple tilts at a slightly different angle. When sunlight hits

those angles, it reflects directly into your eyes. The ripples constantly move,

so the reflections constantly shift. That creates the fast twinkling effect, like glitter on

the water. The brighter the sun and the rougher the ripples, the stronger the

sparkle. Smooth water won’t sparkle much because all the reflections point the same

way. This same effect explains why metal, sand, and even snow