Which hypothesis, championed by astronomers like Heber Curtis, was immediately validated by Andromeda being an island universe?
Answer
The 'Island Universe' hypothesis
Heber Curtis was a notable astronomer who argued forcefully against the conventional view during the Great Debate, supporting the idea that spiral nebulae like Andromeda were massive, self-contained stellar systems existing independently of our own galaxy. When Hubble's observations in 1924 proved Andromeda was hundreds of thousands of light-years away, this immediately validated the 'Island Universe' hypothesis. This confirmation implied that the universe was teeming with countless galaxies, fundamentally changing cosmological scale.
Related Questions
What was the central conflict in the Great Debate regarding spiral nebulae?Which specific telescope did Edwin Hubble use atop Mount Wilson?What specific class of star was crucial for Edwin Hubble's distance proof for Andromeda?What relationship did Henrietta Swan Leavitt establish concerning Cepheid variables?Why are Cepheids considered reliable 'standard candles' in astronomy?What was the approximate estimated diameter of the Milky Way before Hubble's 1924 findings?Around what time did Hubble present his initial findings confirming Andromeda's distance?Which step immediately follows determining the Period of a Cepheid variable for distance measurement?What is the specific designation given to the object known as the Andromeda Nebula?Which hypothesis, championed by astronomers like Heber Curtis, was immediately validated by Andromeda being an island universe?What conceptual hurdle did the realization of Andromeda's distance force upon established scientists before the mid-1920s?