Edwin Hubble is celebrated for his groundbreaking discovery of a new universe that revolutionized our understanding of the cosmos. On January 1st, 1923, Hubble discovered V1, a pulsating star inside the Andromeda galaxy, which led to a major shift in astronomy. The discovery revealed that our Milky Way galaxy was just one of hundreds of billions of galaxies in the universe.
Hubble’s finding was a game-changer, as it challenged the long-held notion that the edge of the Milky Way marked the edge of the entire universe. By using the largest telescope in the world at the time, Hubble determined that V1 was located at a distance far beyond our own galaxy, leading to the realization that the universe extends far beyond our galaxy.
Hubble’s work laid the foundation for modern cosmology and paved the way for further research on the expanding universe. His legacy continues with NASA’s Roman Space Telescope, which will measure the Hubble constant via lensed supernovae.
Today, we celebrate Hubble’s discovery as a testament to human ingenuity and our ongoing quest to understand the mysteries of the universe. With new discoveries emerging regularly, it’s clear that the adventure began with Hubble photographing a large smudge of light – the Andromeda galaxy – at the Mount Wilson Observatory high above Los Angeles.
Note: The article is condensed to provide an overview of Edwin Hubble’s discovery and its significance in modern cosmology.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2025-01-nasa-celebrates-edwin-hubble-discovery.html