Edwin Hubble resolves the Shapely-Curtis debate by finding Cepheids in Andromeda

Historical Context Note

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 3.2.3: American (US) Writing and Culture: The Early Twentieth-century , 1900-1945.
Vol. editors: J. Michael Duvall (College of Charleston), Emory Elliott (University of California, Riverside), Dale Enggass (University of Utah), Matthew Hofer (University of New Mexico), Stephen E. Meats (Pittsburg State University), Tony Papanikolas (San Jose State University), Justin Parks (UiT - The Arctic University of Norway), Nick Selby (University of East Anglia)

Domains

Astronomy

Dates

Date of occurrence 1923

Places

United States (Location)

Resources

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Between 1922 and 1923 Edwin Powell Hubble (20th November, 1889 - 28th September, 1953), an American astronomer, identified Cepheid variables in the Andromeda Nebula, proving that there were galaxies outside our own. Up until this point the idea of there being galaxies outside the Milky Way had been disputed by astronomers, most famously by Harlow Shapley (2nd November, 1885 - 20th October, 1972). In April 1920, Shapley had taken part in the 'Great Debate' with American astronomer Heber D. Curtis (27th June, 1872 - 9th January, 1942), with Shapley arguing there were no galaxies other than our own.

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