Name: Night
Status: Other
Age: N/A
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: Prior to 1993
Question:
We all know that there are a large number of stars in the sky, I
would like to know what makes the night so dark?
Replies:
The question you ask is an important one, for its resolution
helped bring about the realization that the universe is expanding. The German
astronomer Heinrich Olbers considered this very question in a paper published
in 1826. There is not space enough here to do a proper job of answering your
question, so I urge you to consult an astronomy text. This is a famous
problem and should be treated in many books. Check the book's index for
"Olbers' Paradox". For example, the book "The Unity of the Universe" by D. W.
Sciama gives a detailed and not too technical description of the question and
its solution (by the way, Olbers guessed at the solution but his explanation
turned out to be wrong).
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