What was the result of the Shapley-Curtis debate?
In the aftermath of the public debate, scientists have been able to verify individual pieces of evidence from both astronomers, but on the main point of the existence of other galaxies, Curtis has been proven correct. Shapley was arguing in favor of the Milky Way as the entirety of the universe.
Why did Shapley and Curtis argue over the size of universe?
In the debate, Shapley and Curtis truly argued over the ``Scale of the Universe," as the debate's title suggests. Curtis argued that the Universe is composed of many galaxies like our own, which had been identified by astronomers of his time as ``spiral nebulae".
Who was Shapley's opponent in the Great Debate?
On stage after Shapley would be his opponent in the Great Debate, eminent astronomer Heber Curtis – a man 13 years his senior, more experienced and eloquent at speaking, and who disagreed with Shapley on just about everything. For more stories like this, visit our history of astronomy webpage.
What was the relationship between Shapley and Curtis like?
The results did no great harm to either scientist’s career, though; Shapley won the directorship of Harvard College Observatory, while Curtis took the helm of Allegheny Observatory.
Why was the Shapley Curtis debate important?
286: "The Shapley-Curtis debate makes interesting reading even today. It is important, not only as a historical document, but also as a glimpse into the reasoning processes of eminent scientists engaged in a great controversy for which the evidence on both sides is fragmentary and partly faulty.
What was the subject of the Curtis Shapley debate?
Curtis argued that the universe is composed of many galaxies similar to our own, identified by astronomers of that period as "spiral nebulae." In contrast, Shapley believed that the spiral nebulae were merely nearby gas clouds, and that the universe was composed of a single large galaxy.
Why was the Great Debate important?
The Great Debate, also called the Shapley–Curtis Debate, was held on 26 April 1920 at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, between the astronomers Harlow Shapley and Heber Curtis. It concerned the nature of so-called spiral nebulae and the size of the universe.
Why is Harlow Shapley important?
Harlow Shapley was the first to realize that the Milky Way Galaxy was much larger than previously believed. Using the 60-inch telescope at Mount Wilson, he took photographs and observed globular clusters, which were compact spheres composed of many thousands of stars.
Who was right in the Shapley Curtis debate?
But while Curtis correctly assumed that spiral nebulae were individual galaxies, Shapley was right about the extended three-dimensional distribution of globular clusters and the off-centre position of our Sun in the Milky Way.
What settled the Shapley Curtis debate?
1 Answer. Hubble measured the distance to the Andromeda Spiral Nebula and showed that it lies outside the Milkyway galaxy. This settled the debate about the nature of spiral nebulae.
What was the outcome of the Great Debate?
Finally, after long debate, a compromise (the "Massachusetts Compromise") was reached. Massachusetts would ratify the Constitution, and in the ratifying document strongly suggest that the Constitution be amended with a bill of rights.
What are the benefits of debate?
The Benefits of DebatingImproved Critical Thinking Skills. ... Improved Articulation. ... Improved Research Skills. ... Quick-Thinking. ... Resolution of Conflict. ... Greater Empathy. ... Emotional Control. ... Finding Meaning in Complex Situations.More items...•
What did Harlow Shapley discover?
878 MildredHarlow Shapley / Discovered878 Mildred is a minor planet in the main belt orbiting the Sun. It is the lowest numbered, and thus the namesake, of the Mildred family of asteroids, a subgroup of the Nysa family. Wikipedia
Is Shapley explanation for a model unique?
We conclude that there is no unique Shapley explanation for a given model. It varies with model outcome (Probability/Log-odds/binary decision such as accept vs reject) and hence model application.
How did Harlow Shapley determine the size of the galaxy?
Shapley used Cepheid variable stars to estimate the size of the Milky Way Galaxy and the Sun's position within it by using parallax. In 1953 he proposed his "liquid water belt" theory, now known as the concept of a habitable zone.
What is the Shapley supercluster moving towards?
The Shapley Supercluster lies very close to the direction in which the Local Group of galaxies (including our galaxy) is moving with respect to the cosmic microwave background (CMB) frame of reference.
What did Shapley and Ames discover about the universe?
Furthermore, the Shapley–Ames mapping of the sky showed that the clumping of galaxies occurs on scales much larger than the approximately 1-milliparsec size of typical clusters.
Which of the following fundamental astronomical questions did Shapley and Curtis debate in 1920 in the great debate?
Terms in this set (32) Which of the following fundamental astronomical questions did Curtis and Shapley debate in 1920 in their famous confrontation? that Cepheid variable stars appeared to be very faint in the "nebula."
What did Shapley use to measure the distance to globular clusters?
Harlow Shapley (1885-1972; Shapley 1919) investigated Milky Way Globular Clusters (GCs) and measured their distance with pulsating Cepheid stars that were calibrated using the Period-Luminosity (P − L) relationship for galactic Cepheids as established by Leavitt (1908).
What is the irony of the Shapley-Curtis debate?
The irony of the Shapley-Curtis debate is that it advanced our knowledge of the cosmos, while simultaneously revealing our insignificance on the grandest scales. “We believe we have a good, basic understanding of how the universe works,” says Mulchaey. “I think that wasn’t the case in 1920.
What was the difference between Curtis's paper and the paper Shapley presented?
The 19-page paper Shapley presented focused mainly on the scale of the Milky Way, while Curtis’ type-written slides emphasized spiral nebulae as island universes.
Why was Mulchaey convinced that the universe had to be the Milky Way?
To regard them as anything more was to admit the cosmos was larger than most astronomers in the early 20th century were willing to accept. “He was really convinced the universe had to be the Milky Way,” explains Mulchaey, “because his estimate of the Milky Way suggested it was very big.
What did Curtis think of Andromeda?
Curtis considered Andromeda to be one such example. And that meant Andromeda must not only be exceptionally large, but also exceptionally distant.
Why did Shapley decide to study astronomy?
Former journalist Shapley, who joked that he decided to study astronomy only because he could pronounce it, proved the Milky Way was at least 10 times bigger than previously thought. Furthermore, he showed our solar system resides not in the Milky Way’s heart, but far from its center.
Why did Charles Abbot fear the debate would fall flat?
But academy secretary Charles Abbot was initially skeptical, fearing that the debate would fall flat because relativity had already been “done to death” by academics and audiences wouldn’t care about island universes. Shapley also wanted to reframe the debate as a more gentlemanly discussion.
Who was the scientist who believed the Milky Way was as big as Shapley's?
Championing the opposition was Curtis (whose penchant for pipe-smoking often produced accidental fires in his office wastepaper basket). After a decade spent examining spiral nebulae, he agreed the Milky Way might be as big as Shapley claimed. But Curtis also felt that fact should not negate the possibility of huge island universes (galaxies) elsewhere. Curtis considered Andromeda to be one such example. And that meant Andromeda must not only be exceptionally large, but also exceptionally distant.
What was the Curtis-Shapley debate of 1920 about?
In 1920, astronomers Harlow Shapley and Heber Curtis came together to take part in the Great Debate about the scale of the Universe.
Who took part in the Great Debate?
Photo by George Skadding/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images.
How did astronomy’s Great Debate come about?
Cosmic expansion hadn’t been discovered yet – although a handful of spiral nebulae had had their uncannily large recession velocities measured.
How much smaller was the galaxy than Shapley's?
As for the brightness of stellar outbursts in spiral nebulae – which was less of a problem for him, since he believed galaxies to be 10 times smaller than Shapley’s 300,000 lightyears and therefore closer – Curtis presciently wrote: “A division into two magnitude classes is not impossible.”
When was the Great Debate?
The Great Debate began on Monday 26 April 1920 at 8.15pm. One year after the event, Shapley and Curtis presented their conflicting views in the Bulletin of the National Research Council. In a sense, the Great Debate was thus first published in May 1921, b ut not many people know that the two articles were strongly expanded versions ...
Where did Curtis go to study?
Curtis earned an astronomy degree from the University of Virginia and went to Lick Observatory in 1902 to study spiral nebulae with the 36-inch Crossley reflector. In 1920, he was appointed director of the Allegheny Observatory in Pittsburgh; 10 years later, he took the helm of the University of Michigan observatories in Ann Arbor. Curtis was a member of 11 eclipse expeditions between 1900 and 1932.
Where did the Great Debate take place?
The Great Debate took place at the Baird Auditorium of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC, USA. Credit: Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, www.si.edu. The Great Debate would see the two scientists argue the scale of the Universe and whether ‘spiral nebulae’ (what we now know as spiral galaxies) were small and nearby, ...
What did Shapley focus on in the movie?
The speakers were not really addressing each other’s core arguments, with Shapley focusing on the Milky Way’s size and Curtis on the possibility of island universes. Curtis’s eloquence and stage presence dwarfed Shapley’s, which may ultimately have contributed to Curtis’s victory in the eyes of the audience.
What did Shapley argue about the Milky Way?
Shapley argued that there was nothing more to the universe than our Milky Way galaxy, and there were no other “island universes”. He could not swallow the notion that there was more to reality than our own galaxy, as that would imply that Andromeda (pictured above) was about 10 8 light-years away from us. Furthermore, he claimed these observed “spiral nebulae” were merely nearby gas clouds within the Milky Way, rather than distinct galaxies in their own right. He also argued that our Sun was far from the centre of the Milky Way, yet another point of disagreement between Curtis and him.
Who was the astronomer who measured the brightness of Cepheid variable stars?
In 1923 astronomer Edwin Hubble measured the changing brightness of what are called Cepheid variable stars. He demonstrated that they were so distant from us as to be outside of the Milky Way. With that, the Great Debate was settled, and Curtis’s apparent victory upgraded to a definitive one.
Which scientist argued that Andromeda and other spiral nebulae could, in fact, be?
Contrary to Shapley, Curtis argued that Andromeda and other spiral nebulae could, in fact, be other galaxies. In support of his hypothesis he appealed to the fact that Andromeda seemed to possess more novae than the Milky Way.
Why is the Curtis-Shapley debate so special?
Secondly, the topic of the debate – and its result – changed the way scientists viewed the cosmos. After Curtis’ victory, astronomers plucked the courage to broaden their horizons and move their observations and measurements farther than the rim of the Milky Way.
What was the topic of the Curtis-Shapley debate?
On one side, the young, aspiring scientist and former journalist Harlow Shapley, ready to make good use of his energy and enthusiasm. On the other side, the world-renowned professor Heber Curtis, known for his oratory skills, fearsome motivation, and comprehensive work on spiral nebulae for over a decade. Their knowledge, thoughts, and ideas clashed against one another, focused on one topic: the extent and boundaries of our (lesser known at the time) Milky Way. How
What did Shapley believe about the Milky Way?
Shapley believed that the Milky Way contained all the known and unknown celestial objects – that it represented the whole Universe. He argued that galaxies like Andromeda were simply part of our own galaxy. He backed up his claim with a dimensional argument. Looking into former studies, he calculated that if Andromeda were not in the Milky Way, then it should be as big as 100,000,000 light-years. While today’s astronomers are not baffled by such a span, in 1920 that was believed to represent a good argument.
Who proved that the Andromeda galaxy is outside the Milky Way?
For today’s science enthusiasts, there is no mystery around who is the real “winner” of the debate. That same decade, Edwin Hubble’s work on Cepheid variable stars proved that the Andromeda galaxy lies outside of the Milky Way – the first proof for Curtis’ claim, and an irrevocable one. Thanks to the same astronomer, it is now known that the Milky Way and Andromeda are just two of the more than 2 trillion estimated galaxies.
What did Shapley believe about the Milky Way?
He believed that " spiral nebulae " such as Andromeda were simply part of the Milky Way. He could back up this claim by citing relative sizes—if Andromeda were not part of the Milky Way, then its distance must have been on the order of 10 8 light years —a span most contemporary astronomers would not accept. Adriaan van Maanen was also providing evidence to Shapley's argument. Van Maanen was a well-respected astronomer of the time who claimed he had observed the Pinwheel Galaxy rotating. If the Pinwheel Galaxy were in fact a distinct galaxy and could be observed to be rotating on a timescale of years, its orbital velocity would be enormous and there would clearly be a violation of the universal speed limit, the speed of light. Shapley also backed up his claims with the observation of a nova in the Andromeda "nebula" that had briefly outshone the entire nebula, constituting a seemingly impossible output of energy were Andromeda in fact a separate galaxy.
What is the format of the Great Debate?
The format of the great debate has been used subsequently to argue the nature of fundamental questions in astronomy. In honor of the first "Great Debate", the Smithsonian has hosted three more events.
What was the Andromeda Galaxy debate?
It concerned the nature of so-called spiral nebulae and the size of the universe; Shapley believed ...
What would happen if Van Maanen's observation of the pinwheel galaxy rotating were correct?
Curtis stated that if van Maanen's observation of the Pinwheel Galaxy rotating were correct, he himself would have been wrong about the scale of the universe and that the Milky Way would fully encompass it.
What did Shapley believe about the spiral nebulae?
It concerned the nature of so-called spiral nebulae and the size of the universe; Shapley believed that distant nebulae were relatively small and lay within the outskirts of Earth's home galaxy, while Curtis held that they were in fact independent galaxies, implying that they were exceedingly large and distant.
Who proved that Andromeda was far outside the Milky Way?
Later in the 1920s, Edwin Hubble showed that Andromeda was far outside the Milky Way by measuring Cepheid variable stars, proving that Curtis was correct. It is now known that the Milky Way is only one of as many as an estimated 200 billion ( 2 × 1011) to 2 trillion ( 2 × 1012) or more galaxies, proving Curtis the more accurate party in the debate. ...
Is Curtis's theory correct?
In the aftermath of the public debate, scientists have been able to verify individual pieces of evidence from both astronomers, but on the main point of the existence of other galaxies, Curtis has been proven correct.
What did Shapley and Curtis argue about?
In the debate, Shapley and Curtis truly argued over the ``Scale of the Universe," as the debate's title suggests. Curtis argued that the Universe is composed of many galaxies like our own, which had been identified by astronomers of his time as ``spiral nebulae".
What did Shapley argue about the spiral nebulae?
Shapley argued that these ``spiral nebulae" were just nearby gas clouds, and that the Universe was composed of only one big Galaxy. In Shapley's model, our Sun was far from the center of this Great Universe/Galaxy.
Which scientist proved that the universe was composed of many more galaxies?
Therefore, Shapley was proved more correct about the size of our Galaxy and the Sun's location in it, but Curtis was proved correct that our Universe was composed of many more galaxies, and that ``spiral nebulae" were indeed galaxies just like our own.
What telescope was used to find the Cepheid variable stars?
Using the 100 inch Hooker Telescope at Mount Wilson, then the largest telescope in the world, astronomer Edwin Hubble identified Cepheid variable stars in the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) . These stars allowed Hubble to show that the distance to M31 was greater than even Shapley's proposed extent of our Milky Way galaxy.
A Historical Debate
Shapley’s Claims
- Shapley believed that the Milky Way contained all the known and unknown celestial objects – that it represented the whole Universe. He argued that galaxies like Andromeda were simply part of our own galaxy. He backed up his claim with a dimensional argument. Looking into former studies, he calculated that if Andromeda were not in the Milky Way, then it should be as big as 100,000,000 l…
Curtis’ Claims
- In Curtis’ vision, Milky Way and Andromeda were independent galaxies, just two of many such bodies. His argument focused mainly on astronomical events called novas, transient phenomena that represent a sudden appearance of a bright, star-like object that fades over several weeks or a few months. For a nova to be created, some exceptional circumstances have to be met. For exa…
Conclusion of The Curtis-Shapley Debate
- For today’s science enthusiasts, there is no mystery around who is the real “winner” of the debate. That same decade, Edwin Hubble’s work on Cepheid variable stars proved that the Andromeda galaxy lies outside of the Milky Way – the first proof for Curtis’ claim, and an irrevocable one. Thanks to the same astronomer, it is now known that the Milky Way and Andromeda are just tw…
The Uniqueness of The Curtis-Shapley Debate
- The Curtis-Shapley debate is a unique one in the whole scientific history for two reasons. Firstly, not many such debates sparked since the 1920s, as astronomy became more of a collaborative science; contemporary, ideas can be easily shared, measurements are usually precise, and every article is proofread before it becomes public. Secondly, the top...