Hubble, Edwin
Hubble, Edwin Powell (1889–1953), American astronomer, who made important contributions to the study of galaxies, the expansion of the universe, and the size of the universe. Hubble was the first to discover that fuzzy patches of light in the sky called spiral nebula were actually galaxies like Earth’s galaxy, the Milky Way. Hubble also found the first evidence for the expansion of the universe, and his work led to a much better understanding of the universe’s size.
Hubble was born in Marshfield, Missouri. He attended high school in Chicago, Illinois, and received his bachelor’s degree in mathematics and astronomy in 1910. He was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to study at the University of Oxford in England, where he earned a law degree in 1912.
In 1919 Hubble finally accepted the offer from Mount Wilson Observatory, where the 100-in (2.5-m) Hooker telescope was located. The Hooker telescope was the largest telescope in the world until 1948.
While Hubble was working at the Yerkes Observatory, he made a careful study of cloudy patches in the sky called nebulas. Now, astronomers apply the term nebula to clouds of dust and gas within galaxies. At the time that Hubble began studying nebulas, astronomers had not been able to differentiate between nebulas and distant galaxies, which also appear as cloudy patches in the sky.
In 1923 he discovered a Cepheid star in the Andromeda nebula, now known as the Great Andromeda Spiral Galaxy. He also discovered many other nebulas that contained stars and were located outside of the Milky Way. He found that they contained objects similar to those within the Milky Way Galaxy. These objects included round, compact groups of stars called globular clusters and stars called novas that flare suddenly in brightness.
Hubble was an active researcher until his death. He was involved in building the 200-in (508-cm) Hale telescope at the Mount Palomar Observatory, also in southern California. The Hale telescope was the largest telescope in the world from when it went into operation in 1948 until the Keck telescope at the Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawaii was completed in 1990. The Hubble Space Telescope (HST), a powerful telescope launched in 1990 and carried aboard a satellite in orbit around Earth, was named after Hubble and has helped scientists make many important observations.
Hubble was born in Marshfield, Missouri. He attended high school in Chicago, Illinois, and received his bachelor’s degree in mathematics and astronomy in 1910. He was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to study at the University of Oxford in England, where he earned a law degree in 1912.
In 1919 Hubble finally accepted the offer from Mount Wilson Observatory, where the 100-in (2.5-m) Hooker telescope was located. The Hooker telescope was the largest telescope in the world until 1948.
While Hubble was working at the Yerkes Observatory, he made a careful study of cloudy patches in the sky called nebulas. Now, astronomers apply the term nebula to clouds of dust and gas within galaxies. At the time that Hubble began studying nebulas, astronomers had not been able to differentiate between nebulas and distant galaxies, which also appear as cloudy patches in the sky.
In 1923 he discovered a Cepheid star in the Andromeda nebula, now known as the Great Andromeda Spiral Galaxy. He also discovered many other nebulas that contained stars and were located outside of the Milky Way. He found that they contained objects similar to those within the Milky Way Galaxy. These objects included round, compact groups of stars called globular clusters and stars called novas that flare suddenly in brightness.
Hubble was an active researcher until his death. He was involved in building the 200-in (508-cm) Hale telescope at the Mount Palomar Observatory, also in southern California. The Hale telescope was the largest telescope in the world from when it went into operation in 1948 until the Keck telescope at the Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawaii was completed in 1990. The Hubble Space Telescope (HST), a powerful telescope launched in 1990 and carried aboard a satellite in orbit around Earth, was named after Hubble and has helped scientists make many important observations.
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