The Vera Rubin Town Hall and Free Coin Giveaway Is Almost Here

The 246th AAS is nearly here. We want to invite everyone attending AAS this year to join us for a special event on June 11 and receive a free Vera Rubin coin and coin board just for attending!

Vera Rubin Celebration Town Hall at the 246th AAS (June 8-12), Anchorage, Alaska

Date/time: Wednesday, Jun 11, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Building/room: Dena'ina Civic & Convention Center, Ballroom A

SESSION ID #:  46  (1 hour)

Credit: United States Mint

Come join us in celebrating the groundbreaking scientific achievements and enduring legacy of Dr. Vera Rubin, whose work provided the first compelling evidence for dark matter, fundamentally altering our understanding of the universe. 

Vera Rubin was a leading figure in observational cosmology whose critical observations of galaxy rotation curves led to one of the most profound discoveries in modern astrophysics, reshaped our understanding of galactic dynamics and laid the foundation for research that continues today, including the first direct evidence of dark matter from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and now, new studies at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory.

Rubin was also a lifelong advocate, mentoring generations of astronomers and advocating for greater participation in the field.  This one-hour panel discussion will honor Vera Rubin’s scientific contributions and advocacy, highlight ongoing research with missions and scientists that build on her discoveries, and foster dialogue on science, history, and public engagement.  The U.S. Mint’s newly released Vera Rubin coin will be showcased with free coin and coin board giveaways for the AAS audience attendees.

Our panel features Nicole Drakos, Amruta Jaodand, and Maddie Lucey. Drakos is a theoretical astrophysicist studying structure formation in the universe. Jaodand is a multi-wavelength astronomer and astroinfomatics aficionado. Lucey is an astronomy and astrophysics postdoctoral fellow whose research aims to build our understanding of the early universe by studying the ancient stars in our galaxy.  Kimberly Arcand will moderate this one-hour discussion hosted by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory/Chandra X-ray Observatory, and AAS Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy, with the U.S. Mint. Arcand is the Visualization scientist, emerging tech lead, and acting communications & public engagement lead for NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory.

With such an exceptional panel, we know you'll want to join us for this event. Mark June 11 at 6:30 p.m. in your calendars for this special AAS event and come get your free Vera Rubin coin, as well.

Illustration: NASA/CXC/SAO/K.Divona

In the 1970s, astrophysicist Vera Rubin discovered evidence that the Universe was made of more than what could be seen with telescopes — today known as "dark matter". Born in 1928, Vera was drawn to watching the stars at an early age. Her passion would lead her to become the sole astronomy major in her graduating class at Vassar in 1948. Rubin pursued advanced training at Cornell and then Georgetown, where she completed a Ph.D. She was a lifelong advocate for women in science and scientific literacy.