Edwin Hubble, one of the most well-known names in space science, is the inventor of the telescope which bears his name. Many people know of his telescope but they do not know much about Edwin Hubble. He was born in Missouri and was fascinated with science and space at a very early age.
1. Interest in the Universe and Science
He was very interested in the universe and science in general at a very young age. He enjoyed reading novels like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne and King Solomon’s Mines by Henry Haggard. He was a good student, having received high honors in high school.
2. Very Athletic and Involved in Sports
Many people don’t know that Hubble was also very athletic and involved in sports as well as scientific activities. He went to Illinois State for his college years and participated in boxing and basketball. While he was there he also earned a Bachelor’s degree in astronomy and mathematics.
3. Rhodes Scholar
Many are surprised to learn that Hubble attended Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar and studied law instead of astronomy. When he finished his studies, he returned to Louisville, Kentucky where he started his own law practice. He quickly learned that he didn’t care for the business, so he started to study astronomy again at the Yerkes Observatory. He earned his graduate and doctorate degrees from the University of Chicago in astronomy in 1917.
4. Served in World War I
He served in World War I and when he returned, he got a job at the Mount Wilson Observatory in California. While he was there, he used the Hooker telescope to see the Earth’s Milky Way galaxy and also proved the existence of galaxies other than the Milky Way.
5. Hubble’s Law
Hubble’s research led to the proposal of what was called Hubble’s Law in 1929. This outlined how astronomers could make a factual determination of the age of the universe and actually prove that it was expanding. It was the same year that Hubble introduced his telescope that has been famous for almost 100 years. It was particularly important that the conclusions that were reached by Hubble were based on actually looking at the skies instead of discussing theories in meetings.
6. Leading Astronomer
From 1924 to 1936, Hubble developed the concepts and ideas on which observational osmology is now based and set the foundation for all of the science and conclusions made since. He was a leading astronomer in the 20’s and quickly became famous for his role in the study of the stars and galaxies all throughout the universe.
7. In Depth Thinker
Hubble was a very in depth thinker and was probably one of the few people who actually realized what he was learning. He understood what he had accomplished even though many others didn’t give him credit and also brought up inconsistencies and discrepancies with his studies and observations. He was often aloof and many of his critics were always sure to mention this.
8. Private Life
Despite what we know about the theories he put forward, very little is known about his personal life. He was a quiet man and his personal conversations and writings weren’t discussed and many of his personal beliefs are not found in his writings. His thoughts on religion and the big bang theories surrounding the creation and succession of the universe are not easily found.
9. Hubble Morphological Sequence of Galaxy Types
Hubble developed a classification system for nebulae and galactic entities and the systems are now known as the Hubble morphological sequence of galaxy types.
10. Varied Written Work
Hubble published many different works and his works were read by everyone in the field whether they agreed or disagreed with Hubble. He took his writing very seriously and was very thorough with his writing as well.
Leave a Reply