This page will contain blogs about Edwin Hubble, as they become available.Edwin HubbleEdwin HubbleEdwin Powell Hubble (November 20, 1889 – September 28, 1953) was an American astronomer, noted for his discovery of galaxies beyond the Milky Way and the cosmic red shift. Edwin Hubble was one of the first to argue that the red shift of distant galaxies is due to the Doppler effect induced by the expansion of the universe. He was one of the leading astronomers of modern times and laid down the foundation upon which physical cosmology now rests. BiographyHubble was born to an insurance executive in Marshfield, Missouri and moved to Wheaton, Illinois in 1898. In his younger days, he was noted more for his athletic abilities rather than his intellectual genius: he won seven first places1 and a third placing in a single high school meet in 1906. That year he also set a state record for high jump in Illinois. His studies at the University of Chicago concentrated on mathematics and astronomy which led to a B.S. degree in 1910. He spent the next three years as one of Oxford's first Rhodes Scholars, where he studied in the field of law and received the M.A. degree, after which he returned to the United States as a high school teacher and a basketball coach in New Albany, Indiana. He served in World War I and quickly became Major. He returned to astronomy at the Yerkes Observatory of the University of Chicago, where he earned a Ph.D. in 1917. In 1919 Hubble was offered a staff position by George Ellery Hale, the founder and director of Carnegie Institution's Mount Wilson Observatory, near Pasadena, California, where he remained until his death. He also served in the US army during World War II. Shortly before his death, Palomar's 200-inch Hale Telescope was completed; Hubble was the first to use it. He died of a heart attack on September 28, 1953, in San Marino, California. His wife, Grace, did not have a funeral for him and never revealed what was done with his body - it was apparently Hubble's wish to have no funeral service and be buried in an unmarked grave. As of 2005, the whereabouts of his remains are unknown. DiscoveriesGalaxies exist beyond the Milky WayHubble's arrival at Mount Wilson in 1919 coincided roughly with the completion of the 100-inch Hooker Telescope, then the world's most powerful telescope. Hubble's observations in 1923–1924 with the Hooker Telescope established beyond doubt that the fuzzy "nebulae" seen earlier with less powerful telescopes were not part of our galaxy, as had been thought, but were galaxies themselves, outside the Milky Way. He announced this discovery on December 30, 1924. Hubble also devised a classification system for galaxies, grouping them according to their content, distance, shape, size and brightness. The universe is expandingThe 100 inch Hooker telescope at Mount Wilson Observatory that Hubble used to measure galaxy redshifts and discover the general expansion of the universe.Hubble was generally credited with discovering2 the redshift of galaxies. In 1929 Hubble and Milton Humason formulated the empirical Redshift Distance Law of galaxies, nowadays known as Hubble's law, which, once the redshift is interpreted as a measure of recession speed, is consistent with the solutions of Einstein’s General Relativity Equations for an homogeneous, isotropic expanding space. This led to the concept of the expanding universe. The law states that the greater the distance between any two galaxies, the greater their relative speed of separation. This discovery later resulted in the formulation of the Big Bang theory. Earlier, in 1917, Albert Einstein had found that his newly developed General Theory of Relatively indicated that the universe must be either expanding or contracting. Unable to believe what his own equations were telling him, Einstein introduced a cosmological constant (a "fudge factor") to the equations to avoid this "problem". When Einstein heard of Hubble's discovery, he said that changing his equations was "the biggest blunder of my life".3 Other discoveriesHubble discovered the asteroid 1373 Cincinnati on August 30, 1935. He also wrote The Observational Approach to Cosmology and The Realm of the Nebulae around this time. Nobel PrizeHubble spent much of the later part of his career attempting to have astronomy considered an area of physics, instead of being its own science. He did this largely so that astronomers could be recognized by the Nobel Prize Committee for their valuable contributions to astrophysics. This campaign was long unsuccessful and it appeared that Hubble's great achievements would remain unrewarded. Finally the Nobel Prize Committee decided that astronomy should fall under the description of physics. Unfortunately this occurred in 1953 - Hubble died before he could be given the prize, or even informed that he would receive it (his wife was informed after his death). HonorsAwards
Named for him
Footnotes
This page about Edwin Hubble includes information from a Wikipedia article. Additional articles about Edwin Hubble News stories about Edwin Hubble External links for Edwin Hubble Videos for Edwin Hubble Wikis about Edwin Hubble Discussion Groups about Edwin Hubble Blogs about Edwin Hubble Images of Edwin Hubble |
|
Named for him. This campaign was long unsuccessful and it appeared that Hubble's great achievements would remain unrewarded. Hunt (printed 1969). He did this largely so that astronomers could be recognized by the Nobel Prize Committee for their valuable contributions to astrophysics. Hamlin (printed 1899, reprinted 1971) and H.D. Hubble spent much of the later part of his career attempting to have astronomy considered an area of physics, instead of being its own science. There are biographies by his grandson Charles E. He also wrote The Observational Approach to Cosmology and The Realm of the Nebulae around this time. His son Hannibal Emery Hamlin was Maine state Attorney General from 1905 to 1908. Hubble discovered the asteroid 1373 Cincinnati on August 30, 1935. Charles and sister Sarah were present at Ford's Theater the night of Lincoln's assassination. When Einstein heard of Hubble's discovery, he said that changing his equations was "the biggest blunder of my life".3. He had two sons, Charles Hamlin and Cyrus Hamlin, who served in the Union forces during the Civil War. Unable to believe what his own equations were telling him, Einstein introduced a cosmological constant (a "fudge factor") to the equations to avoid this "problem". He died in Bangor, Maine, on July 4, 1891 and is buried in Mount Hope Cemetery. Earlier, in 1917, Albert Einstein had found that his newly developed General Theory of Relatively indicated that the universe must be either expanding or contracting. His last post was minister to Spain, from 1881 to 1882. This discovery later resulted in the formulation of the Big Bang theory. Hamlin served in the Senate from 1869 to 1881. The law states that the greater the distance between any two galaxies, the greater their relative speed of separation. His identification with the Radical Republicans caused him to be dropped from the ticket in 1864 in favor of Andrew Johnson, who was a member of the Democratic Party and a southerner. This led to the concept of the expanding universe. While Vice President he was one of the chief advisers to President Abraham Lincoln, and urged both the Emancipation Proclamation and the arming of African Americans. In 1929 Hubble and Milton Humason formulated the empirical Redshift Distance Law of galaxies, nowadays known as Hubble's law, which, once the redshift is interpreted as a measure of recession speed, is consistent with the solutions of Einstein’s General Relativity Equations for an homogeneous, isotropic expanding space. He was chosen for the second place on the winning Republican ticket in 1860. Hubble was generally credited with discovering2 the redshift of galaxies. In the latter part of February, however, he resigned the governorship, and was again a member of the Senate from 1857 to January 1861. Hubble also devised a classification system for galaxies, grouping them according to their content, distance, shape, size and brightness. The Republicans nominated him for Governor of Maine in the same year, and having carried the election by a large majority he was inaugurated in this office on the January 8, 1857. He announced this discovery on December 30, 1924. After the Democratic Party endorsed that repeal at the Cincinnati Convention two years later, on June 12, 1856 he withdrew from the Democratic Party and joined the newly organized Republican Party, causing a national sensation. Hubble's observations in 1923–1924 with the Hooker Telescope established beyond doubt that the fuzzy "nebulae" seen earlier with less powerful telescopes were not part of our galaxy, as had been thought, but were galaxies themselves, outside the Milky Way. In 1854 he strongly opposed the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Bill, which repealed the Missouri Compromise. Hubble's arrival at Mount Wilson in 1919 coincided roughly with the completion of the 100-inch Hooker Telescope, then the world's most powerful telescope. From the very beginning of his service in Congress he was prominent as an opponent of the extension of slavery; he was a conspicuous supporter of the Wilmot Proviso, and spoke against the Compromise Measures of 1850. As of 2005, the whereabouts of his remains are unknown. A Democrat at the beginning of his career, Hamlin supported the candidacy of Franklin Pierce in 1852. His wife, Grace, did not have a funeral for him and never revealed what was done with his body - it was apparently Hubble's wish to have no funeral service and be buried in an unmarked grave. He was elected to fill a Senate vacancy in 1848 and to a full term in 1851. He died of a heart attack on September 28, 1953, in San Marino, California. He served two terms in the United States House of Representatives, from 1843-1847. Shortly before his death, Palomar's 200-inch Hale Telescope was completed; Hubble was the first to use it. Hamlin left the House in 1841. He also served in the US army during World War II. He served in the Aroostook War, which took place in 1839. In 1919 Hubble was offered a staff position by George Ellery Hale, the founder and director of Carnegie Institution's Mount Wilson Observatory, near Pasadena, California, where he remained until his death. The political career of Hamlin began in 1836, when he began a term in the Maine House of Representatives after being elected the year before. in 1917. He began practicing in Hampden, where he lived until 1848. He returned to astronomy at the Yerkes Observatory of the University of Chicago, where he earned a Ph.D. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1833. He served in World War I and quickly became Major. For the next few years he worked at several jobs: schoolmaster, cook, woodcutter, surveyor, manager of a weekly newspaper in Paris, and a compositor at a printer's office. degree, after which he returned to the United States as a high school teacher and a basketball coach in New Albany, Indiana. He attended the district schools and Hebron Academy there, and later managed his father's farm. He spent the next three years as one of Oxford's first Rhodes Scholars, where he studied in the field of law and received the M.A. Hamlin was born in the Paris Hill district of South Paris, Maine, in Oxford County. degree in 1910. He was Governor of Maine before being elected Vice President as Abraham Lincoln's running mate in the 1860 presidential election. His studies at the University of Chicago concentrated on mathematics and astronomy which led to a B.S. Hamlin began his career as a Democrat but later became a member of the Republican Party. That year he also set a state record for high jump in Illinois. Senate. In his younger days, he was noted more for his athletic abilities rather than his intellectual genius: he won seven first places1 and a third placing in a single high school meet in 1906. House of Representatives before being elected to the U.S. Hubble was born to an insurance executive in Marshfield, Missouri and moved to Wheaton, Illinois in 1898. Hamlin served in the Maine Legislature and later the U.S. . state of Maine. He was one of the leading astronomers of modern times and laid down the foundation upon which physical cosmology now rests. Hannibal Hamlin (August 27, 1809 – July 4, 1891) was an American politician from the U.S. Edwin Hubble was one of the first to argue that the red shift of distant galaxies is due to the Doppler effect induced by the expansion of the universe. Biography. Edwin Powell Hubble (November 20, 1889 – September 28, 1953) was an American astronomer, noted for his discovery of galaxies beyond the Milky Way and the cosmic red shift. Cambridge, Mass.: 1899. Note 3: PBS Cosmological Constant. Life and Times of Hannibal Hamlin. Note 2: This had actually been observed by Vesto Slipher in the 1910s, but the world was largely unaware. Hamlin, Charles E. The third-placing was for broad jump. This article incorporates facts obtained from the public domain Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.. Note 1: For the record, these were discus, hammer throw, pole vault, standing and running high jump, shot put, mile-relay. Orbiting Hubble Space Telescope. Hubble crater on the Moon. Asteroid 2069 Hubble. Medal of Merit for outstanding contribution to ballistics research in 1946--ARP. Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1940. Bruce Medal in 1938. |