Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Jun 1986
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1986ssrv...44..169w&link_type=abstract
Space Science Reviews (ISSN 0038-6308), vol. 44, June 1986, p. 169-176. NSERC-supported research.
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
4
Background Radiation, Extraterrestrial Radiation, Light (Visible Radiation), Night Sky, Paradoxes, Radiant Flux Density, Big Bang Cosmology, Galactic Evolution, Universe
Scientific paper
A non-technical discussion is given of the energy density E of the extra-galactic background light. The fact that E is small means that the space between galaxies is dark, which is a modern version of a classical problem in astronomy known as Olbers' paradox. It is seen that the order of magnitude of E is fixed by the order of magnitude of the lifetime of the galaxies, as pointed out by Harrison; but that the expansion of the universe can affect E by a smaller factor, typically about 2. These comments should help to end persistent confusion about the effects of the lifetime of the galaxies and the expansion of the universe on the darkness of the night sky. It is hoped that Olbers' so-called paradox can now rest in peace.
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