NASA is celebrating the 100th anniversary of Edwin Hubble’s discovery of the V1 star in the Andromeda galaxy. This discovery revolutionized the size of the universe.
NASAcelebrates the 100th anniversary of the variable star V1, which was discovered by the famous astronomer Edwin Hubble in the Andromeda galaxy in 1923. This discovery revealed that there are countless galaxies beyond the Milky Way, allowing us to understand how large the universe is. Hubble’s work formed the cornerstones of modern cosmology.
NASA and Hubble’s Historic Discovery
Edwin Hubble observed the star V1 with the 100-inch Hooker Telescope at Mount Wilson Observatory, the largest telescope in the world at that time. This star was a special type known as Cepheid variables, whose brightness was used to measure distance. Thanks to these measurements, Hubble proved that Andromeda is far beyond the Milky Way and that the universe is not just our galaxy.
This discovery profoundly affected not only the astronomers of that time, but our entire understanding of the universe. Hubble’s studies revealed that the universe was expanding and laid the foundation for the Hubble-Lemaître Law, which is used even today.
Edwin Hubble’s name was given to the Hubble Space Telescope, which was launched in 1990 and is still active. Thanks to this telescope, NASA continues to observe galaxies, black holes and the formation processes of stars in the depths of the universe. The Hubble Telescope became a turning point in the scientific world by making measurements that determined the age of the universe.
Today, NASA continues its work to honor Hubble’s discoveries and continue to understand the secrets of the universe. This journey, which started with Edwin Hubble’s discovery of the V1 star, went down in history as one of the biggest steps taken by humanity in understanding the universe.