News Astronomy

The universe’s background starlight is twice as bright as expected

It took a spacecraft at the solar system’s edge to make precise enough observations of dark sky

illustration of the New Horizons spacecraft with interplanetary dust in the background and the sun in the very distant background

From a vantage point far from the sun and light-scattering interplanetary dust (illustrated, center), the New Horizons spacecraft is well-positioned to measure the visible background glow of the universe.

NASA, Joseph Olmsted/STScI

By Liz Kruesi

- More than 2 years ago

Even when you remove the bright stars, the glowing dust and other nearby points of light from the inky, dark sky, a background glow remains.