The night sky as seen from Earth. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons user ForestWander, under a c.c.a.-s.a.-3.0 license.

Ask Ethan: Why does space appear black?

If the Universe is infinite and full of stars and galaxies, why can’t we see something everywhere we look?

“When you get just a complete sense of blackness or void ahead of you, that somehow the future looks an impossible place to be, and the direction you are going seems to have no purpose, there is this word despair which is a very awful thing to feel.” -Stephen Fry

Sometimes, it’s the simplest questions that lead to the deepest insights from their answers. While there were many great questions submitted by you for our weekly Ask Ethan column, the honor this week goes to elder987419, who wanted to know about the abyss of deep space:

When we look up at night could space be black because the human species can only see so far?

In other words, why is the night sky so dark and devoid of light?

The galactic center — including stars and dust — as seen from Earth. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons user ForestWander, under a c.c.a.-s.a.-3.0 license.

If you think about it, it really doesn’t make sense. Sure, we have a transparent atmosphere, allowing us to see into the vast depths of space when the Sun resides on the opposite side of our world. And our location in our galaxy means that only a…