A biography of edwin hubble

837 Words2 Pages

“Eventually, we reach the utmost limits of our telescopes. There, we measure shadows and search among ghostly errors of measurement for landmarks that are scarcely more substantial,” is a quote about Hubble’s views on discovery and exploration of the universe (Hubble, 1936). Edwin Powell Hubble was born in Marshfield, Missouri, USA on November 29 1889 but later moved to Chicago with his family, where he completed his post secondary education and obtained an undergraduate degree in mathematics and astronomy, from the University of Chicago. To fulfill his father’s wish, Hubble being a dutiful son, later went on to study law at Oxford University on a Rhodes scholarship. Upon obtaining his law degree, Hubble successfully opened and operated a small practice back in the US. Seeing as law was never a passion of Hubble’s, as he stated, “It was astronomy that mattered” and knowing his heart lied elsewhere, Hubble once again went back to the University of Chicago to obtain his doctorate in astronomy (Mayall, 1970). Earlier in his life, as having broken the state record in high jump, Hubble was better known for his athletic prowess. Hubble today is lauded as a pioneer and a visionary, who went beyond the confines of his time to seek more and see farther out into the universe, on route making major discoveries and contributions into the vast field of astronomy.
Edwin Hubble’s exemplary work has revolutionized the way that scientists and astronomers presently look at the universe. After serving in World War I, Hubble accepted a position at California’s Mount Wilson Observatory to help build the Hooker telescope, at the time, world’s largest telescope measuring 2.5 meters or 100 inches. Following the completion of the Hooker telescope, Hubble ...

... middle of paper ...

...gon.edu/~soper/MilkyWay/cepheid.html
Edwin Hubble. (2003, March 25). Retrieved January 19, 2014, from Edwin Hubble Biographical and Information Resources: http://www.edwinhubble.com
Edwin Hubble Biography. (2014). Retrieved January 19, 2014, from The Biography Channel website: http://www.biography.com/people/edwin-hubble-9345936
Edwin Powell Hubble (1889-1953). (2006, September 14). Retrieved January 19, 2014, from 20th Century Exploration: http://burro.astr.cwru.edu/stu/20th_people_hubble.html
Hubble, E. (1936). The Realm of the Nebulae. Yale University Press.
Nave. (2000, August). Expanding Universe. Retrieved January 24, 2014, from Index to Hyper Physics: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/astro/hubble.html
Red Shifts. (2004, December 09). Retrieved January 22, 2014, from ESA Space Science: http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/What_is_red_shift

More about A biography of edwin hubble

Open Document