In the Great Debate of 1920, Curtis and Shapley argued over whether or not:
A) the Big Bang occurred
B) the age of the universe was 14 billion years
C) the universe was contracting
D) life existed outside of Earth
E) the spiral nebulae were located outside the Milky Way

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Curtis argued that the spiral nebulae were other galaxies located outside of the Milky Way, while Shapley believed they were part of our own galaxy. This debate ultimately led to the discovery of the expansion of the universe and the concept of the Big Bang.

In the Great Debate of 1920, Curtis and Shapley Argued