Olbers' paradox

proper noun

The observation that the night sky is mostly dark, yet, in a boundless universe of stars, every line of sight from the eye must eventually intercept the surface of a star.

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Meanings

proper noun
  1. astronomyThe observation that the night sky is mostly dark, yet, in a boundless universe of stars, every line of sight from the eye must eventually intercept the surface of a star.

Origin

From Heinrich Wilhelm Matthäus Olbers, German astronomer.

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Cite this entry
APA

Olbers' paradox. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Olbers'%20paradox

MLA

“Olbers' paradox.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Olbers'%20paradox. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Olbers' paradox,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Olbers'%20paradox.

Source: Olbers' paradox on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.