Understanding our Universe
The universe has always amazed people. Over time, our understanding of stars and galaxies has changed a lot.
- Stars
What we know about stars has changed over thousands of years. Early astronomers recorded the positions and numbers of stars. They did not think that stars could change. The first catalogue of stars was made by Chinese astronomers Gan De and Shi Shenfu around 400 BCE. Astronomers soon realised that 'new stars' could appear in the sky. We know these now as supernovae. The final explosion of a massive star's life.
Edwin Hubble
Occupation
Astronomer, Cosmologist
Year born
1889
Research Areas
Galaxies, Extra-galactic astronomy, Observational cosmology
- Early Life
Edwin was born in Missouri, USA. As a child, he enjoyed reading science fiction books. When he won a scholarship to the University of Chicago, his father wanted him to study law, not astronomy. Following college, Edwin worked as a high school teacher and basketball team coach.
Investigate the Milky Way
Investigate the Size of a Galaxy
Have you ever wondered how big a galaxy is? They contain millions to billions of stars but what does that really mean for size?
Reading about sizes in a book is one thing, but what if you could make an observation of a galaxy and then measure its size?
Ricardo Schiavon
Credit: ARI/LJMU
Occupation: Astrophysicist
Research Areas: Galaxy formation, Observational astronomy
"I consider myself extremely lucky to be where I am, do what I do, and to be surrounded by so many amazing people here in Liverpool."
JWST Wordsearch
Search for words related to the James Web Space Telescope.
Cosmic Yoga
Connecting with the natural world through topics like space and astronomy may help improve your mental health and wellbeing.
Create An Expanding Universe
Beth A. Brown
Early Life
Beth was born in Roanoke, Virginia, USA. She was always asking questions as a child and wanted to know how things worked. She had a passion for science fiction. During a school trip to an observatory she looked through a telescope for the first time and saw the Ring Nebula. That was the inspiration she needed to decide to study astronomy. She was the highest achieving student in her high school. Beth then went to Howard University to study astrophysics.
Year born: 1969
Research Areas: Black Holes, Elliptical Galaxies, X-ray Emission, Data Archives
"Space fascinated me. I was into anything that had to do with space."