Galaxies
Learning Objectives
- Students will be able to classify galaxies by morphology
- Students will be able to describe the structure and contents of galaxies
- Students will be able to understand distance measurements to distant galaxies
Core Concepts
- Galaxy types
- Milky Way structure
- Distance measurements
Formulas
$$v = H_0 d$$
Hubble's Law relating recession velocity to distance
Units
| Light-year | ly |
| Megaparsec | Mpc |
Interesting Fact
Most galaxies contain central supermassive black holes
Key Scientist
Edwin Hubble
Discovered that galaxies are separate from the Milky Way and the universe is expanding
Philosophy
Galaxies reveal that our solar system is unremarkable among billions, supporting the Copernican principle that humans occupy no special cosmic position.
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