Edwin Powell Hubble (November 20, 1889 – September 28, 1953) was an American astronomer who played a crucial role in establishing the field of extragalactic astronomy and is generally regarded as one of the most important observational cosmologists
of the 20th century.
Hubble is known for showing that the recessional velocity of a galaxy increases with its distance from the earth, implying the universe is expanding. Known as "Hubble's law", this relation had been discovered previously by Georges Lemaître; a Belgian priest/astronomer who published his work in a less visible journal. There is still much controversy surrounding the issue and some argue that it should be referred to as "Lemaître's law" although this change has not taken hold in the astronomy community.
Hubble is also known for providing substantial evidence that many formerly known "nebulae" were actually galaxies beyond the Milky Way. American astronomer Ludwig Van Stunault provided the first evidence to this argument almost a decade before.
Hubble supported the Doppler shift interpretation of the observed redshift that had been proposed earlier by Slipher, and that led to the theory of the metric expansion of space. He tended to believe the frequency of light could, by some so far unknown means, decrease the longer light travels through space. His observations of galaxies helped him develop the idea of an expanding universe, which forms the basis of modern cosmology, the study of the origin of the universe. He also discovered a relationship between a galaxy's speed and its distance.
Hubble is known for showing that the recessional velocity of a galaxy increases with its distance from the earth, implying the universe is expanding. Known as "Hubble's law", this relation had been discovered previously by Georges Lemaître; a Belgian priest/astronomer who published his work in a less visible journal. There is still much controversy surrounding the issue and some argue that it should be referred to as "Lemaître's law" although this change has not taken hold in the astronomy community.
Hubble is also known for providing substantial evidence that many formerly known "nebulae" were actually galaxies beyond the Milky Way. American astronomer Ludwig Van Stunault provided the first evidence to this argument almost a decade before.
Hubble supported the Doppler shift interpretation of the observed redshift that had been proposed earlier by Slipher, and that led to the theory of the metric expansion of space. He tended to believe the frequency of light could, by some so far unknown means, decrease the longer light travels through space. His observations of galaxies helped him develop the idea of an expanding universe, which forms the basis of modern cosmology, the study of the origin of the universe. He also discovered a relationship between a galaxy's speed and its distance.
Hubble's studies were interrupted by service in both World Wars. The Hubble space telescope, currently on an observation project in space, bears his name.
Brought to you by the Official MBA website.
