Vera Rubin
An astronomer who observed the rotation of galaxies and provided evidence for the existence of "dark matter."
Vera Rubin (1928–2016) was an astronomer who delved into the secrets beyond the night sky. In an era when it was not easy for a woman to work as a scientist, and as an astronomer in particular, she held her place before the telescope and drew near to the great riddle the universe had hidden away.
The reverse of the coin depicts a profile of Dr. Vera Rubin set against a dark background. That darkness symbolizes none other than “dark matter.” This composition, in which the figure’s clear profile overlaps with the pitch-dark universe, transfers directly into an image the very research subject she spent her whole life examining.
While carefully observing how galaxies rotate, Rubin discovered that their motion could not be explained by visible stars and matter alone. There had to be some invisible matter filling the universe. Her observations became powerful evidence that “dark matter” actually exists, completely transforming the way we understand the universe today.
On the path she walked lay many doors that seldom opened to women scientists. Amid discrimination and prejudice, Rubin quietly continued her observations, and she also devoted herself to opening those doors one by one for the women scientists who would follow. Through her own life she showed that diligent observation ultimately changes the world.
This quarter, depicting her profile inscribed upon the darkness, lets us long remember the perseverance and curiosity of a scientist who sought to bring the invisible to light to the very end.