FAQ About Vera Rubin
How did Vera Rubin change scientists' understanding of galaxies?
Before Vera Rubin's research, it was widely believed that the visible mass of a galaxy, such as stars and gas, dictated its rotation curve. Rubin's observations showed that this was not the case – galaxies exhibited flat rotation curves, indicating a significant amount of unseen mass (dark matter) was influencing their dynamics. This paradigm shift led to a new understanding of galaxy composition and structure, integrating dark matter into cosmological models.
