The Mass of the Universe

Abstract

UNDOUBTEDLY, the mass of the radiation should be added to the mass of the stars and of the nebulous matter in computing the total mass of the universe. But the general belief is that its contribution is comparatively small—less than 1 per cent of the whole. This is not inconsistent with the figures cited by Admiral Beadnell. With radiation at the rate of 4 × 10²⁸ tons per second, it would take 5 × 10¹⁸ seconds, or more than 10¹¹ years, to accumulate to 1 per cent of the total mass 2 × 10⁴⁹ tons. According to cosmological theory, the age of the stars can scarcely exceed 10¹⁰ years.