Vera Rubin, American astronomer, Died at 88

  Reseacher

Vera Cooper Rubin was born on July 23, 1928, and died on December 25, 2016.

She was an American astronomer.

Rubin’s pioneered work on galaxy rotation rates and “transformed modern physics and astronomy with her observations showing that galaxies and stars are immersed in the gravitational grip of vast clouds of dark matter…Her work helped usher in a Copernican-scale change in cosmic consciousness, namely the realization that what astronomers always saw and thought was the universe is just the visible tip of a lumbering iceberg of mystery.”

Rubin uncovered the discrepancy between the predicted angular motion of galaxies and the observed motion, by studying galactic rotation curves.

Her discovery became known as the galaxy rotation problem.

At first it was met with skepticism, Rubin’s results have been confirmed over the subsequent decades.

Vera Rubin passed away at 88 years old.