How Many Photons Reach the Hubble Telescope from a Distant Star in a Day?

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Approximately 40 billion photons from a star 13 billion light-years away reach the Hubble telescope during a one-day exposure. This calculation highlights the vast number of photons emitted by stars, radiating light in all directions. A participant suggested that a star 13 million light-years away would yield around 2,000 photons. Another estimate indicated that for distant stars, the photon count could drop to about one photon per year. The discussion emphasizes the immense scale of the universe and the challenges of measuring light from distant celestial objects.
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Just for fun I wondered about how many photons hit the Hubble telescope from a single star 13 billion LY away during a one day time exposure and came up with about 40 billion photons. Considering that a single star radiates light in all directions to a radius of 13 billion LY, it puts a perspective on just how many photons are out there. I'm not going to reveal how I came up with this number as I'll get laughed out of the forum :wink:. Anyone else care to come up with a number?
 
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2000 for a star 13 million LY away. With billions, ~1 photon/year.
 

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