History of the Universe

By yab

  • Isaac Newton

    Formulated the laws of gravity, which he applied to our planetary system.

  • Edmond Halley

    Used Newton's laws to predict that a comet last seen in 1682 will be see again 76 years later.

  • William Herschel

    Proposed that some nebulae are groups of systems of stars

  • Gustav Kirchhoff

    Investigated the solar spectrum by passing sunlight through a spectroscope. Spectroscopy is now widely used to determine the composition and movement of stars

  • Albert Einstein

    Proposed that matter is a form of energy, which led to theories on the evolution of the universe

  • Albert Einstein

    Proposed the general theory of relativity, which led to details of the structure of black holes

  • Wilhelm de Sitter

    Argued that the general theory of relativity implies that the universe is expanding

  • Arthur Eddington

    Observed a solar eclipse which supported Einstein's general theory of relativity

  • Edwin Hubble

    Found galaxies beyond the Milky way

  • Georges Lemaitre

    Formulated the modern Big Bang theory

  • Edwin Hubble

    Found that other galaxies seem to be moving away from the Milky Way, which supports the expanding universe

  • Robert Wilson and Arno Penzias

    Observed background microwave radiation in space - a discovery that supports the Big Bang theory

  • Stephen Hawking

    Used the general theory of relativity to predict mini black holes, which can explain the formation of the universe