Illustration for the question “Which astronomer published a 1929 relation between galaxy distances and their recession velocities?”

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Which astronomer published a 1929 relation between galaxy distances and their recession velocities?

Correct answer Edwin Hubble

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In 1929 Edwin Hubble published measurements showing an approximately linear relation between galaxy distances and radial velocities. His study combined distance estimates, including those based on Cepheid variables, with velocities derived largely from spectral shifts that Vesto Slipher had measured during earlier observations. This development was not the achievement of one person alone. Georges Lemaître had already connected general relativity with an expanding universe in 1927 and estimated a comparable relation. Hubble’s paper nevertheless supplied an influential observational foundation for modern cosmology.

Content last updated · August 23, 2026

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