Vera Rubin, a Pioneering Astronomer Who Worked on Dark Matter, Dies

Vera Rubin, a pioneering astronomer who worked on dark matter is no more in this world. Her son, Allan Rubin, a professor of geosciences at Princeton University, revealed that Rubin, 88, died on Dec. 25, 2016.

Vera Rubin had been living in the Princeton area. She was born on July 23, 1928 in Philadelphia.

Rubin is remembered for her work on dark matter. She studied galactic rotation curves to find that the angular motion of galaxies is different from what is theoretically predicted, and there is some other force – namely dark matter – at work.

Scientists believe about 27% of the mass and energy in the Universe is made up of dark matter, 5% made up the kind of normal matter, and remaining 68% made of dark energy. While this invisible, dark matter doesn’t emit any observable light or radiation, it definitely exerts a gravitational force which scientists have been able to detect. It is believed that this gravitational force also helps keep galaxies intact, otherwise they would rip apart because of the great speeds at which they rotate.

Initially, Rubin’s theory and observations were met with skepticism, but they were later confirmed to be true.

Rubin won several awards in her career for her pioneering work. She won a National Medal of Science that she received from President Bill Clinton in 1993. She was given this medal for her “research programs in observational cosmology.” She was also elected to the National Academy of Sciences, and was only second female astronomer to accomplish the feat. In 1993, she received the National Medal of Science from President Bill Clinton “for her pioneering research programs in observational cosmology”.

Rubin’s father, Philip Cooper, was an electrical engineer who helped Rubin in her studies. Rubin’s parents always supported her in her career choice, although in an interview, Rubin had revealed that her father wanted her to be a mathematician because he thought it would be difficult for a woman to make a living as an astronomer.

Rubin graduated from Vassar College in 1948, and then earned her master’s degree from Cornell University, before completing her doctorate from Georgetown University. Rubin worked as a faculty member at Georgetown University for many years and later joined the Carnegie Institution in Washington.

Rubin examined nearly 200 galaxies during her career.

Following is the list of awards that Vera won for her discoveries in the field of astronomy.

• Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society
• Gruber International Cosmology Prize
• Weizmann Women & Science Award
• James Craig Watson Medal of the National Academy of Sciences
• Catherine Wolfe Bruce Gold Medal of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
• Dickson Prize for Science
• Richtmyer Memorial Award
• Adler Planetarium Lifetime Achievement Award
• National Medal of Science
• Jansky Lectureship before the National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Matthew Scott, president of the Carnegie Institution, described Vera Rubin as a national treasure, an accomplished astronomer and a wonderful role model for young scientists.

“We are very saddened by this loss,” he said.