Poor Albert was still working with 'fixed stars' or pre-Galactic
models which had served Newton and indeed his reasons for 'curving' the
visible universe is still the most unintentionally hilarious treatment
of any person,anywhere -

"There are stars everywhere, so that the density of matter, although
very variable in detail, is nevertheless on the average everywhere the
same. In other words: However far we might travel through space, we
should find everywhere an attenuated swarm of fixed stars of
approximately the same kind and density. 1
This view is not in harmony with the theory of Newton. The latter
theory rather requires that the universe should have a kind of centre
in which the density of the stars is a maximum, and that as we proceed
outwards from this centre the group-density of the stars should
diminish, until finally, at great distances, it is succeeded by an
infinite region of emptiness. The stellar universe ought to be a finite
island in the infinite ocean of space. 1 2
This conception is in itself not very satisfactory. It is still less
satisfactory because it leads to the result that the light emitted by
the stars and also individual stars of the stellar system are
perpetually passing out into infinite space, never to return, and
without ever again coming into interaction with other objects of
nature. Such a finite material universe would be destined to become
gradually but systematically impoverished. "

http://www.bartleby.com/173/30.html

That is when I stopped dealing with relativity and started
concentrating on what Newton really did wrong.If anyone can believe
that it is a shame that light leaving stars is the basis for the exotic
spacetime nonsense well they are welcome to that feebleminded,subhuman
conception but while it is a genuine joke,the real Newtonian
maneuvering is certainly not.

No genius ever betrays his kind because of intellectual greed and here
Newton was an exception.The cost to humanity has been enormous yet it
can be easily untangled and set right with a bit of effort.How many
people will await the Horizon documentary tonight with the same high
expectations but will get the same unsatisfying answers with the same
dull phony ponderings.The actual answers derived from Copernican
heliocentricity and its later Keplerian/Roemerian refinements are
exciting and easily enjoyable but buried under Newtonian rubbish.When
that documentary comes out I will enjoy it with others but I will not
hold my breath waiting .