Edwin Hubble

Introduction to Edwin Hubble’s Legacy

Edwin Powell Hubble was an American astronomer whose groundbreaking discoveries fundamentally altered the understanding of the universe. Edwin Hubble was known for laying the foundation for an expanding universe and introduced Hubble’s law, which described the relationship between a galaxy’s distance and its velocity.

Early Life and Education

Edwin Hubble was born on November 20, 1889, in Marshfield, Missouri, to John Powell Hubble, an insurance businessman, and Virginia Lee James, a homemaker. Edwin was one of eight children in a family that valued education. In 1906, at 16, Hubble earned a scholarship to the University of Chicago, where he studied physics and astronomy, graduating in 1910. However, his path to astronomy was not straightforward, as he spent three years studying jurisprudence at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.

Return to Science and Graduate Studies

In 1913, Hubble returned to the United States, teaching high school for a year before enrolling in graduate studies in astronomy at the University of Chicago. At the Yerkes Observatory, Hubble conducted observational research with a 24-inch reflector telescope, completing his dissertation on “Photographic Investigations of Faint Nebulae” in 1917. His work caught the attention of Mount Wilson Observatory’s director, but World War I delayed his start there.

Joining Mount Wilson and the Andromeda Discovery

Edwin Hubble joined the staff at Mount Wilson in 1919 after serving in World War I. Initially studying reflection nebulae, Hubble made a landmark discovery in 1923 by identifying Cepheid variable stars in the Andromeda Nebula. This discovery proved that Andromeda was far beyond the Milky Way, expanding the known universe and challenging the belief that the Milky Way encompassed the entire universe.

Hubble’s Law and Expanding Universe

Hubble’s collaboration with astronomer Milton Humason led to the development of what became known as Hubble’s law. In 1929, Hubble observed that a galaxy’s redshift is directly proportional to its distance from Earth, providing key evidence for the expanding universe theory.

Later Years and World War II Service

After publishing The Realm of the Nebulae in 1936, Hubble shifted his focus to consolidating the field of astronomy. His research continued to influence the field, but his career was interrupted again by World War II, during which he served his country.

Death and Enduring Legacy

On September 28, 1953, Edwin Hubble passed away due to a cerebral thrombosis at the age of 63. His legacy lives on, most notably through the Hubble Space Telescope, launched in 1990, which continues to make groundbreaking discoveries and cements Hubble’s place as one of the most influential astronomers in history.