Heber Curtis was born on this date, June 27th, in the year 1872. He was an American astronomer who found strong evidence that the Milky Way was but one of many countless galaxies, what he called “island universes” in outer space. In 1920 he presented his work at a meeting of the National Academy of Sciences, citing the discovery of novas, stars that periodically brighten and dim, that could be found among many spiral nebulas. Based on their apparent faintness, he calculated that these novas were millions of light years away – too distant to be within the borders of our own galaxy. He was right! Great discoveries are still being announced at astronomy meetings, and you can see for yourself at tonight’s get-together of the Treasure Coast Astronomical Society, which will be at 7:30 pm at the Science Center on the Fort Pierce campus of Indian River State College. This event is free and open to the public, and again, it’s at 7:30 p.m. at the Science Center at IRSC in Fort Pierce.
Tue Jun 27, 2017 HEBER CURTIS, TCAS MEET
