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Chapter 24: Problem 3

How did Edwin Hubble prove that the Andromeda "Nebula" is not a nebula within our Milky Way Galaxy?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Edwin Hubble proved that the Andromeda 'Nebula' was not a nebula within the Milky Way Galaxy, but rather a separate galaxy, by observing a Cepheid Variable star in Andromeda. By calculating the star's intrinsic brightness and comparing it with its apparent brightness, Hubble was able to determine the distance to Andromeda, which was far greater than the limits of the Milky Way, hence, proving that Andromeda is a separate galaxy.

Step by step solution

01

Background Information

Start by outlining the state of scientific understanding before Hubble's discovery. Until the early 20th century, it was commonly believed that the Milky Way represented the entire universe, and objects like Andromeda were thought to be nebulae within it. Recognize that Edwin Hubble proved this theory wrong.
02

The Use of Cepheid Variable Stars

Detail Hubble's strategy to use Cepheids, which are stars that have a direct relationship between their luminosity and pulsation period. Hubble observed a Cepheid Variable star in Andromeda and, based on its period, calculated its intrinsic brightness. He then compared this with the star's apparent brightness to calculate the distance to Andromeda.
03

Hubble's Conclusion

Lastly, highlight Hubble's conclusion. Based on his calculations, Hubble determined that the Andromeda 'Nebula' was located at a distance far greater than the limits of the Milky Way as understood at the time, which led him to conclude that Andromeda was not a nebula but rather a galaxy separate from our Milky Way.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using the various standard candle distance indicators to obtain extragalactic distances.

Why are Type Ia supernovae useful for finding the distances to very remote galaxies? Can they be used to find the distance to any galaxy you might choose? Explain.

On what grounds do astronomers think that in the past, spiral galaxies were more numerous in rich clusters than they are today? What could account for this excess of spiral galaxies in the past?

The galaxy RD1 has a redshift of \(z=5.34\). (a) Determine its recessional velocity \(v\) in \(\mathrm{km} / \mathrm{s}\) and as a fraction of the speed of light. (b) What recessional velocity would you have calculated if you had erroneously used the low-speed formula relating \(z\) and \(v\) ? Would using this formula have been a small or large error? (c) According to the Hubble law, what is the distance from Earth to RD1? Use \(H_{0}=73 \mathrm{~km} / \mathrm{s} / \mathrm{Mpc}\) for the Hubble constant, and give your answer in both megaparsecs and light-years.

What are masers? How can they be used to measure the distance to a galaxy?
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