What concept did the discovery of V1 confirm about the Andromeda Nebula (M31) relative to the Milky Way?
Answer
It was an independent galaxy existing entirely outside our stellar system
The successful identification of a Cepheid variable star within the Andromeda Nebula, coupled with the derived distance of 900,000 light-years, served as the decisive proof that the object was not merely a gas cloud situated within the Milky Way. Since the calculated distance far exceeded the known scale of our own galaxy, it demonstrated that Andromeda must be a massive, distinct collection of stars operating entirely separately in intergalactic space. This fundamentally altered the perception of the cosmos from a single island universe to a vast collection of such islands.
Related Questions
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