The National Science Foundation has announced that the first National U.S. observatory to be named after a female astronomer will honor Jewish scientist Vera Rubin. The large synoptic survey telescope in Cerro Pachòn, Chile, will be renamed the NSF Vera C. Rubin Observatory. Rubin, who died in 2016 at the age of 88 is best known for discovering evidence of dark matter — particles that do not absorb, reflect or emit light, but have an effect on objects we observe.

          The observatory renaming recognizes her role in better understanding dark matter. The study of dark matter will be one of the facility’s main research topics, along with taking an inventory of the Solar System, exploring the transient optical sky, and mapping the Milky Way.

“Through her discovery of dark matter, Vera made one of the most important contributions to science in the past century, said Steve Kahn, director of the Rubin Observatory. “Her pioneering work dramatically improves our understanding of the universe.”