From observatory work to research

Humason joined Mount Wilson as a janitor in 1917, was serving as a night assistant by 1920, and became a staff investigator in 1922. His career developed through practical observing, photography and instrumental experience.

References: [1]

Spectra of faint objects

Recording distant, faint objects required long exposures and careful technique. Humason developed methods of photographing their spectra, providing important observational evidence for Hubble’s work on the expanding universe.

References: [1]

Observatory collaborations

Besides Hubble, Humason worked with Walter Baade, Alan Sandage and Nicholas Mayall. His research encompassed velocity–distance relations and spectroscopy, drawing on observations at both Mount Wilson and Palomar.

References: [2]