Edwin Hubble — Questions and answers

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What groundbreaking discovery did Edwin Hubble make in 1923 while looking at the 'Andromeda Nebula'?

Choices

  1. He found a brand new type of telescope.
  2. He discovered that the Andromeda Nebula was actually another galaxy, not just a cloud of gas. ✓
  3. He identified a very bright star within our own Milky Way galaxy.
  4. He proved that the Earth was the center of the universe.

Answer: He discovered that the Andromeda Nebula was actually another galaxy, not just a cloud of gas.

From page 1

What was 'The Great Debate' in astronomy mainly about before Edwin Hubble's discoveries?

Choices

  1. How to build the biggest and best telescopes.
  2. Whether the Milky Way was the only galaxy, or if there were other 'island universes' out there. ✓
  3. The best way to take pictures of stars at night.
  4. If stars were made of gas or solid material.

Answer: Whether the Milky Way was the only galaxy, or if there were other 'island universes' out there.

From page 2

What amazing discovery did Henrietta Swan Leavitt make about Cepheid variable stars?

Choices

  1. They were the fastest-moving stars in the universe.
  2. They were the brightest stars ever seen, no matter how far away.
  3. She found a way to tell how bright a Cepheid star truly was and then how far away it was, just by watching its pulse. ✓
  4. She discovered that they were made of a special kind of magical space dust.

Answer: She found a way to tell how bright a Cepheid star truly was and then how far away it was, just by watching its pulse.

From page 3

What made the Hooker Telescope so special and helpful for Edwin Hubble's work?

Choices

  1. It was able to show pictures in full color, which was new at the time.
  2. It was the biggest telescope in the world for over 30 years and could collect a lot of light to see faint objects. ✓
  3. It could automatically identify and name every star it saw.
  4. It was made of a secret, super-strong material no one else had.

Answer: It was the biggest telescope in the world for over 30 years and could collect a lot of light to see faint objects.

From page 4

What did Edwin Hubble find in the Andromeda Nebula that changed everything?

Choices

  1. A giant planet with rings.
  2. A very fast-moving comet.
  3. A Cepheid variable star, which helped him figure out its distance. ✓
  4. Evidence of little green aliens waving hello.

Answer: A Cepheid variable star, which helped him figure out its distance.

From page 5

How did Edwin Hubble use Henrietta Leavitt's work to prove that nebulae were actually distant galaxies?

Choices

  1. He used her telescope to look at them closer.
  2. He measured the pulsing of Cepheid stars in the nebulae to calculate how bright they truly were and then how far away they were. ✓
  3. He asked Henrietta Leavitt to tell him the answers directly.
  4. He just guessed that they were very, very far away.

Answer: He measured the pulsing of Cepheid stars in the nebulae to calculate how bright they truly were and then how far away they were.

From page 6

What does Hubble's Law tell us about galaxies?

Choices

  1. All galaxies are standing still in space.
  2. The closer a galaxy is to us, the faster it moves away.
  3. The farther away a galaxy is, the faster it seems to be moving away from us. ✓
  4. Galaxies only move when they are very bright.

Answer: The farther away a galaxy is, the faster it seems to be moving away from us.

From page 7

What did Hubble's discovery of the expanding universe hint at regarding the universe's beginning?

Choices

  1. That the universe would eventually shrink and disappear.
  2. That all galaxies would eventually crash into each other.
  3. That the universe has always been exactly the same size.
  4. That if galaxies are moving apart, they must have been closer together in the past, suggesting a starting point for the universe. ✓

Answer: That if galaxies are moving apart, they must have been closer together in the past, suggesting a starting point for the universe.

From page 8

What else did Edwin Hubble create to help astronomers understand galaxies?

Choices

  1. A special type of rocket ship to visit galaxies.
  2. A new theory about black holes.
  3. A 'tuning fork' diagram to classify galaxies by their different shapes and structures. ✓
  4. A new way to measure the brightness of individual stars.

Answer: A 'tuning fork' diagram to classify galaxies by their different shapes and structures.

From page 9

What major tribute honors Edwin Hubble's legacy and continues his work in space?

Choices

  1. A new constellation was named after him.
  2. The Hubble Space Telescope, launched in 1990, bears his name. ✓
  3. Every year, a holiday is celebrated in his honor.
  4. A special star chart was printed with his picture on it.

Answer: The Hubble Space Telescope, launched in 1990, bears his name.

From page 10