Vera Rubin
23 July 1928 – 25 December 2016
Vera Rubin (1928-2016) was an American astronomer whose pioneering studies of galaxy rotation curves provided some of the strongest evidence for the existence of dark matter. Working with Kent Ford, she found that stars in the outer regions of galaxies orbit as fast as those near the center, implying vast amounts of unseen mass.
Lived at the same time
Well-documented people whose lives overlapped with Vera Rubin.
- Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1924–2018) Overlapped 88 years →
- Charles Aznavour (1924–2018) Overlapped 88 years →
- Chen-Ning Yang (1922–2025) Overlapped 88 years →
- David Attenborough (1926–present) Overlapped 88 years →
- Ennio Morricone (1928–2020) Overlapped 88 years →
- Etel Adnan (1925–2021) Overlapped 88 years →
Life events
Vera Florence Cooper was born in Philadelphia and developed an early fascination with the night sky.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgShe earned her bachelor's degree in astronomy from Vassar College, the only astronomy major in her class.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgShe married physicist Robert Rubin; the couple had four children, all of whom earned doctorates in the sciences.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgShe completed her doctorate at Georgetown University, with George Gamow as her adviser.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgShe began her long career at the Carnegie Institution of Washington, where she collaborated with instrument-maker Kent Ford.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgHer measurements of the Andromeda Galaxy and other spirals showed flat rotation curves, strong evidence for unseen dark matter.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgShe became only the second woman astronomer elected to the United States National Academy of Sciences.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgShe received the United States National Medal of Science for her work on the structure of galaxies.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgVera Rubin died in Princeton, New Jersey at the age of 88.
Source: en.wikipedia.org