Final answer:
The subject in question, cosmology, is the scientific study of the universe's origins, evolution, and structure, rooted historically in 1929 with Edwin Hubble's observations of an expanding universe. It has since incorporated the study of phenomena like dark energy and critical density, examining both nearby and distant cosmic objects in order to understand the universe's past and future.
Step-by-step explanation:
The study of the origins of the universe is known as cosmology, a branch of astronomy that deals with understanding the universe as a cohesive whole. Cosmology's history began significantly in 1929 with Edwin Hubble's observation of redshifts in distant galaxies, which provided evidence for a previously inconceivable notion—an expanding universe. Since then, cosmology has expanded to address the critical density necessary to halt the universe's expansion, the enigmatic dark energy that accelerates this expansion, and numerous other phenomena that inform our knowledge of the universe's history and future.
By delving into the study of the nearby and distant universe, cosmologists look backward in time to unravel the early stages of cosmic history, thereby exploring the past to understand the evolution and organization of the cosmos. From Greek and Roman times, where cosmologies were derived from philosophy and religion, to the contemporary era, where the use of sophisticated technology allows us to peek into the universe's infancy, cosmology has evolved to become a scientifically rigorous field that intertwines with particle physics and other scientific disciplines.
The foundations of cosmology have been laid out in various chapters of textbooks and scholarly work, guiding readers through the universe's beginnings, the formation of galaxies, stars, planets, and even life itself, highlighting its intricate and profound nature.