Contents
Vera Rubin
Finding powerful evidence for dark matter through galaxy rotation.
Andromeda study · Flat rotation curves
- Born
- 23 July 1928
- Birthplace
- Philadelphia, United States
- Died
- 25 December 2016
More people
Vera Rubin
Vera Rubin was an American astronomer whose observations with Kent Ford showed galaxies rotating in ways visible matter alone could not explain.
Early life
Stargazing
Became interested in astronomy as a child in Washington, D.C.
Training
Studied at Vassar and Cornell, then earned a Georgetown doctorate in 1954.
Career
- 1955–1965
Georgetown
Taught and researched astronomy.
- 1965
Carnegie Institution
Joined the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism.
- 1970s onward
Galaxy rotation
Extended measurements of stars moving within galaxies.
Contributions
Andromeda study
Published rotation measurements with Kent Ford.
Flat rotation curves
Documented unexpectedly high orbital speeds in galaxies’ outer regions.
National Medal of Science
Received the United States science honour.
Beyond the lab
Advocacy
Worked to improve opportunities for women in astronomy.
Family
Married physicist Robert Rubin and raised four children who pursued scientific careers.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Photo: Photograph by Mark Godfrey, courtesy of AIP Emilio Segrè Visual Archives, Gift of Vera Rubin. Attribution · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
