Question 1

True or false: The Hubble Space Telescope was named after Edwin Hubble before he died.

Accepted Answer

False. The telescope was named in his honor decades after his death—Hubble died in 1953, and the telescope launched in 1990.

Question 2

True or false: Hubble proved that the Milky Way is the only galaxy in the universe.

Accepted Answer

False. He actually proved the opposite—that many 'nebulae' are separate galaxies beyond the Milky Way, expanding our cosmic view entirely.

Question 3

True or false: Hubble was a Rhodes Scholar who studied law at Oxford.

Accepted Answer

True. He studied law as a Rhodes Scholar, but later abandoned law for astronomy, saying he 'would rather be a first-rate astronomer than a second-rate lawyer.'

Question 4

True or false: Edwin Hubble was the first to propose the Big Bang theory.

Accepted Answer

False. Hubble provided observational evidence for expansion, but Georges Lemaître proposed the Big Bang theory. Hubble disliked the idea himself.

Question 5

True or false: Edwin Hubble's ashes were buried with no public ceremony.

Accepted Answer

True. Hubble's wife never held a funeral or burial service; his final resting place is unknown to the public, adding mystery to his legacy.

Question 6

True or false: Hubble discovered that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate.

Accepted Answer

False. He discovered the expansion itself (Hubble's Law), but the acceleration was found in 1998 by teams studying distant supernovae.

Question 7

True or false: Edwin Hubble was a champion boxer before becoming an astronomer.

Accepted Answer

True. Hubble was a standout amateur boxer; he even briefly considered a professional career before choosing science. He was known for his athletic build.

Question 8

True or false: Hubble served as a soldier in World War I but never saw combat.

Accepted Answer

True. He joined the U.S. Army, served in France, but arrived just as the war ended. He later regretted missing the action.

Edwin Hubble Trivia Questions