Boing Boing

Boing Boing

With infinite stars, why is the night sky dark?

Ellsworth Toohey
Aug 26, 2025
∙ Paid

The center of Milky Way galaxy (sripfoto/shutterstock.com)

Why is the night sky dark? This simple question, known as Olbers' paradox, has perplexed astronomers for centuries. In an infinite, eternal universe filled with stars, every line of sight should end on a star, bathing the night in constant light. Yet we see darkness punctuated by points of brilli…

User's avatar

Continue reading this post for free, courtesy of Boing Boing.

Or purchase a paid subscription.
© 2026 Happy Mutants LLC · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture