To acknowledge the scientific contributions of Belgian astronomer Georges Lemaître to the scientific theory of the expansion of the Universe, and by vote of its members, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) has decided to recommend the Hubble law to be renamed as the Hubble–Lemaître law.
The Hubble–Lemaître law describes the effect by which objects in an expanding Universe move away from each other with a velocity proportionally related to their distance. This resolution was proposed in order to pay tribute to both Lemaître and Hubble for their fundamental contributions to the development of modern cosmology. The discovery of the apparent recession of galaxies is a founding pillar of modern cosmology and a major milestone of astronomical research.
Following a period of consultation with the astronomical community, the resolution to suggest renaming the Hubble law was presented and discussed at the XXX General Assembly of the IAU, held in Vienna (Austria) in August 2018. The proposed resolution has been accepted with 78% of the votes in favour and 20% against (and 2% abstaining).
