FAQ About Vera Rubin
What is a galaxy rotation curve and why is it important?
A galaxy rotation curve is a plot showing the orbital velocities of stars or gas as a function of their distance from the galactic center. It is important because it can reveal insights into the mass distribution within the galaxy. Vera Rubin's work on rotation curves showed that they remained flat at distances far beyond where the visible matter could account for the observed speeds, leading to the inference of dark matter.
