![]() In 2011, astronomers used redshift to verify Einstein’s theory of general relativity. Hubble’s LegacyĪstronomy has changed since Hubble’s glory days, but his contributions are still at the core. When the Hubble Telescope deployed in April 1990, it was the most significant advancement in astronomy since Galileo’s telescope. Scientists have used the Hubble Telescope to observe distant stars and galaxies and the planets in our solar system. The telescope’s images of deep space confirm what Edwin Hubble’s research suggested about galaxies and the universe, and provide images that give physical evidence for theoretical concepts. According to NASA, the Hubble Telescope was the first major optical telescope to be placed in space. It’s fitting that the most powerful telescope in the sky is named after Edwin Hubble. Scientists have cited Hubble and Humason’s work as evidence that helps prove the Big Bang Theory - one of the most popular theories on the universe’s origin, which was first suggested by Georges Lemaître in 1927, according to. Their research supported the theory that galaxies come from a central point of origin. Today’s astronomers regularly use modern telescopes to study redshift, but during Hubble’s time, it was revolutionary.Īccording to, in 1929, Hubble and his colleague Milton Humason published research that showed that a galaxy’s redshift is proportionate to its distance from another galaxy. It ultimately proved that the universe is expanding. He demonstrated that the farther a galaxy, the faster it was moving away from Earth. Hubble observed that galaxies were moving away, with larger redshifts for the most distant galaxies. Astronomers can use redshift to measure the speed and distance of objects in space. explains that wavelengths of light can stretch or crunch together depending on the relative position of objects. As it moves toward us, the light appears to become bluer, as its wavelengths get shorter and correspond with the blue end of the rainbow (or, in astronomy speak, the “visible light spectrum”). When an object such as a star moves away from us, its wavelengths get longer, so we perceive the light as becoming red. RedshiftĪccording to, Hubble was the first astronomer to describe the “redshift” phenomenon and tie it to an expanding universe. ![]() Although it is a basic classification system, it’s still used almost a century later. Hubble’s sequence sorts and characterizes or classifies galaxies by their shape. He is also famous for creating the Hubble sequence, a classification system for galaxies that has been used since 1926. It has since been renamed the Andromeda Galaxy and proven to be 2.48 million light-years away. Hubble estimated that the Andromeda “Nebula” was nearly 900,000 light-years away from the Milky Way, and therefore was its own galaxy. ![]() (There had been no idea of its size at the time). ![]() Hubble proved that other galaxies existed outside of our home in the Milky Way by taking photos and comparing the brightness of stars, according to. Using Mount Wilson’s Hooker telescope - the largest telescope available at the time - he observed space and found evidence to back his theories. Hubble’s research confirmed an expanding universe, which provided the foundation for the Big Bang Theory. His work as an astronomer provides the foundation for modern astronomy, and his legacy continues to grow as today’s scientists use the telescope that was named in his honor to make new discoveries about the universe. He’s most famous for his research at the Mount Wilson Observatory in California that revolutionized the field of astrophysics. He served in both World Wars and earned a doctorate in astronomy from the University of Chicago. Edwin Hubble was born in Missouri on Nov. ![]()
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