M31-V1, the star Hubble viewed and changed our universe
This article explores the historical scientific debate regarding the nature of the Andromeda galaxy in the early 1920s. It highlights how the observation of the star M31-V1 helped astronomers determine that Andromeda was a separate galaxy rather than a nebula within the Milky Way.
Why it matters
It marks a pivotal moment in modern cosmology that fundamentally changed our understanding of the scale and structure of the universe.
If I were to leave a blank after the word “Andromeda”, then chances are that you would be filling it in with the word “galaxy”. This is because the Andromeda galaxy is the nearest major galaxy next to our own Milky Way, making the association natural. A little over 100 years ago, however, nobody would have filled it with the word “galaxy”.
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