The first attempt to map the Galaxy via star counts was done by
A) Edwin Hubble with the new 100" Mt. Wilson telescope in the 1930s.
B) Harlow Shapley with the RR Lyrae variables in 1920.
C) William Herschel in the late eighteenth century.
D) Edward Barnard with long exposure photos about 1900.
E) Galileo in 1612.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

William Herschel conducted the first attempt to map the Galaxy using star counts in the late eighteenth century. He used his telescopic observations to infer the shape of the Milky Way.

The First Attempt to Map the Galaxy Via Star Counts