Although her ideas on the nature of the universe were at first largely discounted, astronomer Vera Cooper Rubin (born 1928) has gained recognition for her research leading to the discovery of "dark matter."

Vera Cooper Rubin's measurement of the speed of spinning galaxies suggests that science has only scratched the surface of the true nature of the heavens. Dark matter is believed to make up 90 percent of the universe. It is material that is thought to exert gravitational force on stars to keep them spinning inside their galaxies.

Watched the Stars

Rubin was born on July 23, 1928, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At age 10, she was already fascinated by the stars. From her home in Washington, D.C., she searched the skies and watched the constellations until late at night. Despite warnings from her mother not to overdo her star gazing, Rubin continued to pursue her passion in the night skies. At...