Rubin's Rotation | Cosmos Line | Vera Rubin | Unisex Long Sleeve T-Shirt

Minimalist scientific line plot that illustrates one of the most compelling pieces of evidence for the existence of dark matter: the Galaxy Rotation Anomaly. The design clearly presents two distinct curves:

1. Expected (Newtonian) Curve: This theoretical curve, based on visible matter and classical physics, predicts that the rotational velocity of stars and gas should decrease as their distance from the galactic center increases, much like planets orbiting the Sun.
2. Observed Flat Curve: This empirical curve, however, shows that stars maintain surprisingly high and roughly constant rotational velocities even far out into the galactic disks.

This stark discrepancy means that there must be far more mass in galaxies than what can be accounted for by visible stars, gas, and dust. The caption "Rubin, 1970 — Galaxy rotation anomaly" attributes this pivotal discovery to the pioneering astronomer Vera Rubin. Her meticulous and persistent observations, particularly of the Andromeda galaxy, provided overwhelming evidence for the presence of vast, invisible dark matter halos surrounding galaxies.

Rubin's work, along with that of her colleague Kent Ford, fundamentally reshaped our understanding of galactic dynamics and the composition of the universe, proving that the cosmos is largely made of something we cannot yet directly see. This design celebrates her monumental contribution to cosmology and the scientific quest to uncover the universe's hidden components.