Harlow Shapley

Harlow Shapley was an influential American astronomer known for his work in understanding the structure of our Milky Way galaxy. In the early 20th century, he measured the distribution of globular clusters—spherical groups of stars—leading to the discovery that the Sun is not at the center of the galaxy, but rather located about 26,000 light-years from it. This was a pivotal moment in galactic astrophysics, reshaping our understanding of the universe's scale and the Milky Way's place within it, ultimately influencing theories about galaxy formation and evolution. His work laid important groundwork for future astronomical research.