Edwin Hubble (1889 - 1953)
Early life and Education: Studied mathematics, astronomy and philosophy at the University of Chicago, obtained his degree in 1910. He later studied law and then Spanish at Oxford University in the UK.
Employment: School teacher and basketball coach at New Albany High School in Indiana. Major during the First World War. Worked at Mount Wilson Observatory in California after the war for the rest of his life, serving in the US Army during World War II.
Main achievements: Discovered that there is more to the Universe than the Milky Way galaxy. While at Mount Wilson Observatory, using what was then the world's largest telescope, Hubble observed galaxies (such as Andromeda) which lay beyond our own galaxy proving that the Universe is much bigger than people thought. He also created groups for galaxies based on their appearances (ellipitcal, lenticular and spiral galaxies). He also discovered that redshift increases with distance. What this means is that the further a galaxy is away from another, the faster it has travelled to get that far. This discovery backed up theories that the Universe began with a "Big Bang" and that it is expanding. Hubble also discovered the asteroid 1373 Cincinnati.
Landmarks/objects named after Hubble: Asteroid 2069 Hubble, Hubble Crater on the Moon and the Hubble Space Telescope in orbit around Earth.
Extra information: While at school and University, Hubble was known more for his athletic skills rather than his academic abilities, setting the Illinois State high jump record.
