Full Name: Dr. Edwin Powell Hubble
Date of Birth: November 20, 1889
Place of Birth: Marshfield, Missouri, USA
Died: September 28, 1953
Place of Death: San Marino, California, USA
Classification: Scientists & Thinkers
Known for his discovery of distant galaxies, of the expansion of the universe, and having the Hubble Telescope named in his honor, Edwin Hubble is considered one of the most profound physical cosmologists in world history. He was also one of the first to come up with a system to organize galaxies, where they would be grouped according to what they were made up of, their relative distance, and how bright they were.
Born in Missouri, young Edwin had always been fond of the stars, but his father never thought his son’s contributions to the world of science would change how the world thought about the universe. In fact, upon moving to Illinois, Hubble excelled in a variety of sports, mainly track and field. His initial studies in math and astronomy at the University of Chicago allowed him to obtain an undergraduate degree. He did so well that he applied and was accepted to study as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University in England, where he received an MA in Law. However, it was after coaching basketball in Indiana that he realized he wanted to continue studying the stars. So, after serving as a Major in World War I, he returned to the University of Chicago to obtain his PhD.
He is credited with theorizing that the redshift of galaxies meant universal expansion, but in actuality he used the redshift phenomena to calculate how fast the galaxies were growing. This was eventually dubbed Hubble’s Law. It was this theory that added proof behind the Big Bang Theory. Even Einstein was amazed at Hubble’s findings and thereafter used these findings in his own equations.
Edwin Hubble never released his own autobiography, but he did contribute many written and academic works to the field of astronomy and cosmology. And, although he wasn’t eligible for the Nobel Prize, many agree that his field should have been included in the running. He received many awards, including honorary degrees and was named a fellow of Queen’s College in Oxford, England. In 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope was launched. True to its namesake, it was deployed in order that man could see farther into space and time than ever thought imaginable. Hubble himself would be enthralled at such awe-inspiring phenomena, where galaxies and stars are born right in front of the viewer’s eyes
