• Question: There is light in space so why is it black?

    Asked by adama to Indi, Jarv, John, Ken, Vicky on 16 Mar 2012. This question was also asked by pasha8, pasha6.
    • Photo: Jarvist Moore Frost

      Jarvist Moore Frost answered on 14 Mar 2012:

      Because there’s nothing there to light up!
      If you go outside at night with a torch and shine it up, you might see a little bit of light bouncing back off moisture in the atmosphere, but most of it is flying up through the sky and then out into space. Apart from the small amount that hits stars and dust clouds, most of those photons will be travelling for ever across the endless void.

    • Photo: Vicky Young

      Vicky Young answered on 14 Mar 2012:

      Its because there is nothing for it to reflect off!

    • Photo: John Prytherch

      John Prytherch answered on 16 Mar 2012:

      You only see light when it goes into your eye. So unless you are looking right at the sun (don’t do this!) or something else that is emitting light, you only see things when they reflect light to your eye. In empty space, there is nothing to reflect the light, so we see it as black.

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