Olbers' Paradox
Why is the night sky dark?
Image credit: UnsplashOverview
There is an old, simple question that can help us understand a fundamental property of the universe. It is usually called Olbers' paradox, after the German astronomer Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers:
Why is the night sky dark?
This short outreach note is preserved in the site archive and is not promoted on the homepage.
Source note
The question and introductory explanation were adapted from ASTRO 801: Planets, Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe.
Giovanni Scala
Incoming Assistant Professor and SONATA 21 Principal Investigator (from November 2026)
Theoretical physicist connecting quantum foundations with secure communication, entanglement certification, and quantum technologies.