Carnegie Science

Who was Vera Rubin? Vera Rubin provided the first observational evidence that supported of the existence of dark matter—the invisible material that makes up more than 80 percent of the mass of the universe.

On this day in 1928, a star was born!

Vera Rubin’s observations of swirling galaxies offered the first clear evidence of dark matter. She showed us that the universe is full of mysteries we can’t see… yet.

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Five Objects That Tell Vera Rubin’s Story Dark matter, DIY telescopes, and astronomy’s most iconic bathroom sign.

Happy birthday to Vera Rubin—a scientist who changed our view of the universe.

Today, we’re celebrating her legacy through 5 iconic objects, from a homemade telescope to the spectrograph that helped reveal dark matter.

Read more: carnegiescience.edu/news/five-ob...

🎂 Happy Birthday! On this day in 1928, Vera Rubin was born—a scientist who dared to ask the universe bold questions.

Her confirmation of dark matter revealed a cosmos more vast, mysterious, and wondrous than we ever imagined.

Learn more👇
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Carnegie Science | Carnegie Science CarnegieScience.edu showcases the exciting discoveries of our pioneering researchers in astronomy, Earth and planetary science, genetics and developmental biology, global ecology, matter at extremes s...

Applying for an NSF #Astronomy and #Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship? Consider applying to work with a scientist at @carnegiescience.bsky.social! Campuses in Washington,DC, and California! #AAPF
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Carnegie Science | Carnegie Science CarnegieScience.edu showcases the exciting discoveries of our pioneering researchers in astronomy, Earth and planetary science, genetics and developmental biology, global ecology, matter at extremes s...

Applying for an NSF #EarthSciences Postdoctoral Fellowship? Consider working with a researcher at @carnegiescience.bsky.social in Washington, DC! #EARPF

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The @heisingsimonsfdn.bsky.social 51 Pegasi b Fellowship backs bold research in planetary astronomy—from exoplanets to Solar System origins. As a host, Carnegie Science offers Fellows freedom to explore big questions at the Observatories, Earth & Planets Lab, or both.

Learn more: bit.ly/40mIn2w

Planet formation. Exoplanet atmospheres. Cosmic origins. @heisingsimonsfdn.bsky.social‬ 51 Pegasi b Fellows at Carnegie Science dive into the biggest questions in planetary astronomy.

Apply now to join us at Carnegie Observatories, the Earth & Planets Lab, or both: webportalapp.com/sp/login/51p...

10 Iconic Photographs of Vera Rubin We’re highlighting 10 iconic photographs from the Vera Rubin Photograph Collection.

Revisiting these photos from the Carnegie Science Archives reminds us just how extraordinary Vera Rubin’s journey was!

She changed what we know about the universe—and who gets to explore it.

📸 View the full series here: carnegiescience.edu/news/10-icon...

#VeraRubin #RubinObservatory

In 1993 Vera Rubin received the National Medal of Science, the nation's highest scientific award, for her "significant contributions to the realization that the universe is more complex and more mysterious than had been imagined." She received the National Medal of Science from President Clinton and Vice President Gore in a ceremony at the White House. Credit: Official White House photo, courtesy of Carnegie Science.

🏅 In 1993, Vera Rubin received the National Medal of Science—presented by President Clinton and Vice President Gore at the White House.

The honor recognized her groundbreaking work on galaxy rotation and dark matter, and her role in revealing just how mysterious our universe really is.

Portrait of Vera Rubin in 1989 with a portion of her collection of celestial globes, by photographer Mark Godfrey. Rubin had an avid interest in atlases, star charts, and globes. Her collection began when her astronomy professor at Vassar College offered her an old celestial globe that was about to be discarded. Credit: Photograph by Mark Godfrey, courtesy of Carnegie Science

In this 1989 portrait by photographer Mark Godfrey, Vera Rubin poses with a portion of her collection of celestial globes. Her collection began when her astronomy professor at Vassar College offered her an old celestial globe that was about to be discarded.

Vera Rubin and fellow women astronomers in the console room of the 2.5-meter du Pont telescope at Carnegie Science’s Las Campanas Observatory in October 1985. Rubin broke barriers for women in astronomy and was an advocate for women in STEM throughout her career. Pictured are Renee Kraan-Korteweg (University of Basel), Deidre Hunter (Carnegie Science), Vera Rubin (Carnegie Science), Wendy Freedman (Carnegie Science), and Anja Schroeder (University of Basel). At the time, Freedman was conducting observations on the 2.5-meter telescope, Kraan-Korteweg and Schroeder were working with the 1-meter Swope Telescope, while Hunter and Rubin were scheduled to begin their observations on the 2.5-meter the following night. Credit: Carnegie Science

Vera Rubin and fellow women astronomers in the console room of the 2.5-meter du Pont telescope at Carnegie Science’s Las Campanas Observatory in October 1985.

Rubin broke barriers for women in astronomy and was an advocate for women in STEM throughout her career.

In this 1984 photo, Vera Rubin and Kent Ford are hard at work!

Rubin and Ford’s 1970 paper on the Andromeda Galaxy’s flat rotation curve kicked off a scientific revolution. By 1980, the case for dark matter was undeniable!

Vera Rubin at Carnegie Science’s former Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, now part of the Earth and Planets Laboratory, in 1972 using her “measuring machine” to analyze photographic plates. In the 1970s Rubin and collaborator Kent Ford collected data on dozens of spiral galaxies. Rubin’s measurements of the spectra data consistently showed flat rotation curves, providing the powerful observational evidence that supported the existence of dark matter. Credit: Carnegie Science

In 1972, Rubin used this “measuring machine” at Carnegie to analyze spectra from spiral galaxies.

The result? Flat rotation curves—and some of the strongest observational support for dark matter.

Vera Rubin at the DTM image tube spectrograph mounted on the 84-inch (2.1-meter) telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory in the 1970s. The spectrograph was designed by Rubin’s longtime collaborator Kent Ford and built at Carnegie Science. When attached to a telescope, it greatly enhanced the ability to detect faint celestial objects, improving the efficiency of photographic detectors by over a factor 10. In the late 1960s Rubin and Ford began using this powerful tool to study the rotation of spiral galaxies, beginning with Andromeda. This work would eventually confirm the existence of dark matter—the invisible material that makes up more than 80 percent of the mass of the universe. Credit: Carnegie Science

In this photo from the 1970s, Vera Rubin is pictured at Kitt Peak using a powerful spectrograph built by Kent Ford.

The duo used it to track galaxy rotations—starting with Andromeda—and revealed the first strong evidence of dark matter. The device was so revolutionary it’s now in the Smithsonian!

Vera Rubin working at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, in 1965. This photograph was taken the same year Rubin joined Carnegie Science as a Staff Scientist, a position that freed her from teaching obligations and allowed her to focus entirely on research and observation. Rubin’s longtime research partner Kent Ford appears with his back to the camera in a white hard hat. This was one of their first observing runs together. Credit: Carnegie Science

🔬In 1965, Vera Rubin joined Carnegie Science to focus fully on research. This photo from that year shows her at Lowell Observatory with Kent Ford—his back to the camera in a hard hat—during one of their very first observing runs!

Their partnership would uncover the first clear signs of dark matter.

Vera Rubin with her children Karl, David, Allan, and Judy in 1961 at Bear Lake in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park. The four Rubin children all earned Ph.D.s in the sciences or mathematics: David Rubin is a geologist; Judy Young, who died in 2014, was an astronomer; Karl Rubin is a mathematician; and Allan Rubin is a geologist. In the acknowledgements in her 1997 book Bright Galaxies, Dark Matters Rubin wrote “I succeeded in two goals–to raise a family and to be an astronomer.” Credit: Carnegie Science

🏞️ Vera Rubin at Bear Lake with her kids in 1961.

All four earned Ph.D.s in the sciences or math. She once wrote: “I succeeded in two goals—to raise a family and to be an astronomer.”
#VeraRubin #STEMFamilies

Vera Rubin posing at the eyepiece of the telescope at Vassar College Observatory in 1948. Rubin earned her undergraduate degree from Vassar College that same year. She had been drawn to the institution by its distinguished history of educating women astronomers, beginning with the first female professor of astronomy, Maria Mitchell. Rubin continued her studies at Cornell University for her master’s and Georgetown University for her Ph.D. Credit: Carnegie Science

🎓 At Vassar, Rubin studied under the legacy of Maria Mitchell—the first American woman astronomer.

In this 1948 photo, she poses at the observatory where her dream was taking shape.

Vera Rubin with her homemade telescope. Rubin's fascination with astronomy began in childhood as she watched the night sky from her bedroom window. She built her first telescope with her father’s help, ordering a small lens from Edmunds Scientific Co. and sourcing a free cardboard tube from a linoleum company. She lugged the large, unwieldy tube home on the bus from downtown, an early sign of the dedication that would define her lifelong pursuit of astronomy. Credit: Carnegie Science

🔭 It all started with a cardboard tube.

As a child, Rubin built her first telescope with her father—and a free linoleum tube she carried home by bus.

10 Iconic Photographs of Vera Rubin We’re highlighting 10 iconic photographs from the Vera Rubin Photograph Collection.

From a homemade telescope to dark matter discoveries—Vera Rubin reshaped our view of the universe. ✨

We’re sharing 10 iconic photos from the newly digitized Carnegie archives that capture her life, legacy, and love of science. 🧵
#VeraRubin #WomenInSTEM

🔗 carnegiescience.edu/news/10-icon...

Things Named After Carnegie Scientist Vera Rubin Long before Carnegie astronomer Vera Rubin was awarded the National Medal of Science in 1993, the scientific community had come to understand her groundbreaking contributions to our understanding of the universe. In addition to the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, she is immortalized in a number of other astronomical objects, awards, and projects.

From telescopes to quarters to ridges on Mars—you can find tributes to Vera Rubin all across the universe!

Do you have a favorite thing named after her?

Check out our full list 👇
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Donate to Support Carnegie Science ⚡ Help Carnegie Science investigators explore life, our planet, and the universe!

Vera Rubin lifted others as she climbed—and her legacy still opens doors.

The Vera Rubin Memorial Fund supports postdocs at @carnegieplanets, helping early-career scientists follow in her footsteps.

Be part of it👇
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Discovered by Carolyn Shoemaker, Asteroid 5726 Rubin orbits between Mars and Jupiter.

Two legends of astronomy, linked by an asteroid—and a shared legacy of breaking barriers.
(7/9)

On June 3, 2025, Rubin joined a truly elite group—those featured on U.S. currency! The quarter shows her gazing into the stars, with “Dark Matter” engraved beside her name. (6/9)

carnegiescience.edu/news/vera-ru...

Every year, the American Astronomical Society (‪@aas.org)‬ awards the Vera Rubin Early Career Prize to rising stars in dynamical astronomy—continuing Rubin's legacy of excellence and mentorship. (5/9)
dda.aas.org/awards/rubin

Vera Rubin's face in a GPU. Credit: PCGames.com

NIVIDIA Data-center Roadmap, Source: NIVIDA/HardwareLuxx

Even the tech world is catching on: nvidia’s next-gen superchip is named Vera Rubin.

It features a CPU called Vera and GPU called Rubin—with an Ultra Vera Rubin version coming in 2027. (4/9)

www.pcgamesn.com/nvidia/new-g...

A self-portrait taken by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover in January 2019 at the "Rock Hall" drill site, located on Vera Rubin Ridge. NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS

Mars' landscape honors her, too. Vera Rubin Ridge spans 6.5 km along Mount Sharp in Gale Crater—explored by ‪the Mars Curiosity Rover‬, where it captured this striking 2019 selfie.
(3/9)

Rubin Observatory stands on Cerro Pachón in Chile against a sky full of star trails in this long exposure night sky image. Credit: Hernan Stockebrand

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory (@vrubinobs.bsky.social‬) will map the universe like never before—tracking billions of galaxies and exploring dark matter, dark energy, and more.

It’s a fitting tribute to the woman who first confirmed the evidence of dark matter!
(2/9)

Rubin Observatory stands on Cerro Pachón in Chile against a sky full of star trails in this long exposure night sky image. Credit: Hernan Stockebrand

A self-portrait taken by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover in January 2019 at the "Rock Hall" drill site, located on Vera Rubin Ridge. NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS

Vera Rubin's face in a GPU. Credit: PCGames.com

Vera Rubin didn’t just transform astronomy—she left her name across the cosmos!

From observatories to ridges on Mars, here are seven of the honors named after the "Mother of Dark Matter." (1/9)

carnegiescience.edu/news/things-...

#VeraRubin #RubinFirstLook @vrubinobs.bsky.social‬

Vera Rubin: Opening doors to dark matter and women in STEM In 1965, Vera Rubin wasn’t just watching history unfold; she was making it—pioneering our understanding of the universe while shattering barriers for women in science.

#VeraRubin joined Carnegie's former Department of Terrestrial Magnetism in 1965 as its first woman staff scientist.

She walked in, gave an impromptu talk at the blackboard, impressed the director, and got the job. 💪

Read more👇

Who was Vera Rubin? Vera Rubin provided the first observational evidence that supported of the existence of dark matter—the invisible material that makes up more than 80 percent of the mass of the universe.

In celebration of @vrubinobs.bsky.social‬ 's first look on June 23, we’re spotlighting the Carnegie scientist whose name it bears: Vera Rubin.

Her work changed the universe—and helped us realize how much of it we can’t see. #VeraRubin #DarkMatter

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