Edwin Hubble, The Discoverer of the Big Bang Universe [Hardcover]

Alexander S. Sharov (Author), Igor D. Novikov (Author), Vitaly Kiskin (Translator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521416175 | ISBN-13: 978-0521416177 | Publication Date: October 29, 1993

This book is the first complete account of the scientific life and work of Edwin Hubble, whose discoveries form the basis of all theories of the evolution of the universe. One of the outstanding astronomers of the twentieth century, Hubble studied the velocities or redshifts of galaxies and discovered that the universe is expanding. He convincingly proved that our galaxy is only one of countless galaxies and thus paved the way for the exploration of an immense world beyond the limits of our knowledge. The exploding universe proposed by Hubble, now termed the Big Bang, is used to explain the origin of the elements, of stars, and of galaxies. The second part of the book describes the fundamental discoveries on the nature of the universe made subsequently, and thus sets his achievements in context. Hubble's vision, particularly his efforts to help build the big telescope at Mt. Palomar, firmly established the United States as a leader in observational astronomy. Written by two prominent astronomers (Dr. Novikov is the author of Black Holes and the Universe, CUP, 1990) who have built on Hubble's work, this book is a classic of science, setting out the thrilling story of the exploding universe.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...well worth reading." Donald E. Osterbrock, Nature

"...the first complete account of the scientific life and work of Edwin Hubble, whose discoveries form the basis of all theories about the evolution of the universe." Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society

"...draws together much information otherwise scattered and difficult to find....essential to a full understanding of Hubble's continuing influence....will reward those who read it." Donald DeB. Beaver, Isis

"...a labor of love by professional astronomers fascinated by the history of their science and with an open admiration of Hubble and his accomplishments." Thomas Pinkney Davis, The Strolling Astronomer

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Russian

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 203 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (October 29, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521416175
• ISBN-13: 978-0521416177
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #442,392 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Edwin Hubble biography, April 6, 2006

By 

Jeffrey - See all my reviews

This review is from: Edwin Hubble, The Discoverer of the Big Bang Universe (Hardcover)

The biography, Edwin Hubble the Discoverer of the Big Bang Universe, is a very informative book and is a must read for every astronomy fan. The book shows Hubble's inspirations, the way his discoveries differed from the ones accepted in the world at that time, difficulties that he encountered during his experiments, and the affect he had on the future. At the beginning of the biography, the authors give a brief overview of the important events that led to Edwin Hubble's fascination with astronomy. Other topics the book includes are Hubble's Law, the island universe, and the hot universe theory. The book describes each of these topics in great detail and explains advancements other scientists made that aided Hubble in his discoveries.
I believe the authors were compelled to write the story of Edwin Hubble because he is an incredible influence on modern scientists, and they believe people should be shown his many accomplishments. People should read the story of Edwin Hubble because it is important to understand the discoveries that he made. It teaches future generations how life was before Hubble and how life is now after Hubble's accomplishments. This book will definitely increase your curiosity about the universe.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Big Bang - Setting a Standard, September 13, 2011

By 

Malcolm Cameron - See all my reviews

This review is from: Edwin Hubble, The Discoverer of the Big Bang Universe (Paperback)

Edwin Hubble, the Discoverer of the Big Bang Universe
by Alexander Sharov & Igor Novikov

"It looks to me as though you have found a gold mine, and that, by working carefully, you can make a contribution as significant as the one that Kepler made, but in an entirely different way." Or Copernicus. Or Galileo Galilei. The expansion of the universe resulted, leading to the `Big Bang' and unbelievable detail of the first few minutes of the Universe and even its creation.

In January 1929 Edwin Hubble published a six page article "A Relation Between Distance and Radial Velocity Among Extra-Galactic Nebulae" based on "red-shift" measurements of radial velocities of 46 galaxies. It is one of the most prominent papers in the entire history of astronomy. This expanded on the 1912 observations by Vesto Slipher who measured Andromeda as the first radial velocity of a galaxy - actually it is coming toward us at 300 km/second - and the above quote.

Translated from the Russian, Sharov and Novikov give a clear layperson biography of the most outstanding astronomer of the 20th century. And in the process set the standard for scientific biographies, in my opinion.

Edwin Hubble:
(a) Proved that the nebulae at high latitudes outside the Milky Way are giant stellar systems often different from, but in many ways similar to, the galaxy which includes our sun and planets - elliptical E, spiral S, and irregular I, galaxies;
(b) Showed that the Crab nebula, a nebula within the Milky Way, resulted from an explosion of a supernova in 1054 described in Chinese and Japanese chronicles. He thus connected the expanding Crab Nebula and the supernova together not only by position in space but chronologically as well;
(c) Discovered that the red-shift in spectra of galaxies depends on the distance from us, perhaps the most revealing feature of the universe around us.
(d) Estimated the density of the Universe to be to about (10 to the -30) grams per cubic centimeter.

There is a similarity in (b) and (c) in that both were simple observations that posed questions of what happened about 900 years and 13.7 billion years previously!

The story of Edwin Hubble's work and his life are dealt with in a free, sometimes witty style, rather than an academic style. (For instance, Hubble shared a 1927 prize for his work, equal to the price of a leopard fur coat advertised with the newspaper report, with a scientist specializing in termites.) Unlike some biographies the authors do not shy from an odd equation or graph, even the 1929 Hubble diagram. Not only that, a special section at the end of the book is dedicated to modern consequences of his great discovery. This is a fascinating overview of the creation of universes depending on some simple ratios as the electron mass to the proton mass. Not often does a book affect your thinking as much as this one, or get you to take it off the shelf once again years later.

So why does this book set a standard for a scientific biography?
a) It relates work significant in our intellectual history;
b) It is written in a free rather than academic style, but does not shy from an equation or graph where the story demands;
c) It takes an attitude that "The history of science cannot be limited to the development of ideas - to a similar extent it must be concerned with human beings, their peculiarities and talents and their dependence on the social conditions of their country and time ... The life and work of pioneers in science are very important for progress in science and their biographies are a significant part of the history of science".
d) The story continues with a discussion of the consequences of Hubble's discovery.

Malcolm Cameron
14 September 2011