What did Harlow Shapley argue in the great debate?
What did Harlow Shapley argue in the great debate?
Shapley argued that the universe was comprised of a single galaxy, while Curtis held that it contained many galaxies. In holding these positions, each came to different conclusions regarding the celestial objects astronomers at the time called “spiral nebulae,” the nature of which was still unclear in 1920.
What discovery ended the great debate?
In view of his arguments against using Cepheids as distance scale indicators, it is ironic that this point was ultimately settled in his favor by Hubble’s discovery of Cepheids in the Andromeda Nebula several years after the debate. Shapley and Curtis were also wrong about some things.
What was the main lesson of the great debate of 1920?
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.
What was the outcome of the great debate?
This uncertainty played a major role in the ratification convention in Massachusetts. 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.
Why was the great debate important?
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 right Shapley or Curtis?
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 was the central sticking point of the Great Debate astronomy?
The topic of the Great Debate Shapley believed that “spiral nebulae” like Andromeda (now known to be our closest galactic neighbor) were part of 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.
What was the Great Debate 1850?
The Compromise of 1850, also known as the Omnibus Bill, was a program of legislative measures enacted by Congress to reconcile the differences existing between the North and South concerning the issue of Slavery in newly formed Territories of the United States.
What did Curtis believe?
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.
Who was correct about the solar system’s place in the Milky Way Shapley and Curtis?
Both Curtis and Shapley were incorrect on the first point (Curtis guessed too small, Shapley too large), and Curtis was also incorrect on the second point. That Curtis was correct in the last point has changed mankind’s view of our place in the universe.
Why did the great debate happen?
The First Great Debate was an argument between idealists, who dominated the paradigmatic thinking of post-war scholars after the end of the First World War, and realists, who challenged the assumptions of the former in viewing the nature and reality of international politics.
What was the main topic of the Lincoln Douglas debates?
The main focus of these debates was slavery and its influence on American politics and society—specifically the slave power, popular sovereignty, race equality, emancipation, etc.