Vera Rubin

Vera Rubin
Vera Rubin
	Rubin with her collection of antique globes, c. 1985
Born	Vera Florence Cooper; July 23, 1928; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	December 25, 2016 (aged 88); Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.
Alma mater	Vassar College (BS); Cornell University (MS); Georgetown University (PhD);
Known for	Galaxy rotation problem; dark matter; Rubin–Ford effect;
Spouse	Robert Joshua Rubin (m. 1948; died 2008)
Children	4, including Karl and Judith
Awards	Bruce Medal; Dickson Prize in Science; Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society; National Medal of Science;
	Scientific career
Fields	Astronomy
Institutions	Georgetown University; Carnegie Institution of Washington;
Thesis	Fluctuations in the Space Distribution of the Galaxies (1954)
Doctoral advisor	George Gamow
Other academic advisors	William Shaw; Martha Stahr Carpenter;
Notable students	Sandra Faber; Rebecca Oppenheimer;

Vera Florence Cooper Rubin (/ˈruːbɪn/; July 23, 1928 – December 25, 2016) was an American astronomer who pioneered work on galaxy rotation rates. She uncovered the discrepancy between the predicted and observed angular motion of galaxies by studying galactic rotation curves, the first evidence for the galaxy rotation problem, one key piece of evidence for dark matter. Measurements by other astronomers using 21 centimeter hydrogen line radio telescopes clinched the case.

Honored during her lifetime for her work, she received the Bruce Medal, the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society, and the National Medal of Science, among others. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile is named in her honor. Her legacy is described by The New York Times as "ushering in a Copernican-scale change" in cosmological theory. Prominent theoretical physicist Lisa Randall and others have argued that Rubin was neglected for the Nobel Prize.

Rubin spent her life advocating for women in science, and mentored aspiring female astronomers.