the Universe with Photography By the late 1800s, photography was
changing the way astronomers studied the Universe. The telescope
had become a high-powered camera that recorded images of objects
on photographic plates. These images were more accurate than
hand drawings and revealed objects and details far too faint for
the eye to detect. Astronomers would soon discover that the
Milky Way was only one of countless galaxies, each one a vast
swirl of stars.