Blinding White Universe

**gothamxi** · Nov15-09, 03:56 AM

Light travels at a fixed rate, and is absorbed as other energy forms by matter, but why is the universe still not blinding white. There is so much light energy being dispersed constantly, why can I open my eyes and not be blinded. Why is the night sky not brighter? I feel like the amount of light energy produced by our sun and the stars, and then reflected should exceed the rate at which it is absorbed. Is it just that it is constantly reflected at lower energies invisible to the human eye?

**mathman** · Nov15-09, 06:35 PM

The cosmic microwave backgound is the result of what has been produced.

**mgb_phys** · Nov15-09, 06:43 PM

it's called Olber's paradox and is proof that the universe isn't infinite in time or extent

**Nabeshin** · Nov15-09, 06:46 PM

I was under the impression Obler's paradox only "shows" that the universe is not infinitely old, and says nothing of its spatial extent.

Source or explanation, mgb_phys?

**mgb_phys** · Nov15-09, 06:57 PM

Depending on your cosmology they are linked - I was trying to simplify.
When you include inflation Olber's paradox is a bit more complicated