4 ms·
An infinite number of small numbers does not always add up to infinity! Since the apparent brightness of a star is an inverse-square law, if you assume there ar
by czinck 11y ago
An infinite number of small numbers does not always add up to infinity! Since the apparent brightness of a star is an inverse-square law, if you assume there are an infinite number of stars, each 1 light year further away from you in a line and all the same brightness, you end up with that area being only 64%[1] brighter than it would seem with only the first star. Seems like a pretty simple resolution to this paradox to me.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Particular_values_of_Riemann_zeta_function https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Particular_values_of_Riemann_z...
- tamana 11y agoI am going to guess that physicists have considered your resolution and it is incorrect in the face of current measurements and models.
- zuminator 11y agoThe part that grandparent is overlooking is that while luminosity decreases as to the square of the distance, the number of stars in a given angular diameter of space increases as to the square of the distance. The two effects cancel each other out and so Olbers Paradox can't be resolved by that method.