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Astronomy, the study of celestial objects and the universe, has come a long way since its humble beginnings. The night of October 5-6, 1923, marked a significant turning point in the field, forever changing the way astronomers saw and studied the cosmos.

Before this pivotal moment, astronomers believed that the Milky Way, which we see on moonless nights, was the entirety of the universe. However, a 45-minute photograph taken by American astronomer Edwin Hubble challenged this notion. Hubble used the massive 100-inch Hooker telescope at the Mount Wilson Observatory to capture the image of a small patch of light in the constellation of Andromeda, known as the Andromeda Nebula.

The photograph revealed individual stars, including a Cepheid variable star, which helped determine the distance to the object. It was discovered that this “cloud” was not a part of our own Milky Way, but a separate entity known as the Andromeda Galaxy, located approximately 2.5 million light-years away and containing around one trillion stars. This groundbreaking discovery opened the door to the understanding that there were other galaxies beyond our own.

Further studies conducted by Hubble in 1929 revealed that the universe was expanding faster than the speed of light. This led to the concept of the Big Bang, proposed by Father George Lemaitre in 1931, which suggests that the universe originated from a single point in time and space.

Technological advancements in the following decades allowed astronomers to explore the cosmos in greater detail. Radio waves were detected in the 1940s, leading to the observation of the Crab Nebula, the remains of a supernova. In 1949, the 200-inch Palomar Telescope became the largest in the world, enabling astronomers to peer further into space and back in time.

The 1960s and 1970s witnessed significant milestones in space exploration, with Apollo astronauts landing on the moon and the launch of Voyager 1 and 2, which provided close-up images and collected data from outer planets and their moons. These spacecraft, along with many others like the Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-ray, and James Webb Space Telescope, continue to enhance our understanding of the cosmos.

Astronomers have also turned their attention to exoplanets, planets orbiting stars in our galaxy. Over 5,500 exoplanets have been confirmed, with the possibility of many more planets than stars in the Milky Way. The search for habitable planets, located in the “Goldilocks Zone” where conditions could support liquid water, remains a fascinating area of study.

Furthermore, space missions have brought back samples from celestial bodies like the asteroid Bennu, providing insights into the origins of our solar system.

Future endeavors include plans to return to the moon in 2025 and send humans to Mars in the next decade or two. The Parker Solar Probe, currently diving close to the sun, is shedding light on our daytime star like never before.

With advancing technology and insatiable curiosity, astronomers are on a quest to uncover the mysteries of the universe. The study of dark matter and dark energy, which are believed to have played a role in the creation of the universe, holds the promise of a new understanding of physics.

As we embark on this journey of exploration, the path to discovery continues to evolve. With each new revelation, we come one step closer to unraveling the fascinating secrets of our cosmos.

– By Gary Boyle, The Backyard Astronomer

Source: The Backyard Astronomer, Gary Boyle

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