New telescopes are flown far into space
so more can be seen without the atmosphere in the way.
The farther Vera looks, the further she sees back in time.
Most observatories are now heated.
Vera doesn’t have to change the signs on restrooms.
She saves time working on computers
instead of calculating using slower machines,
and she no longer must wait
for photographs to develop in a basin of chemicals.
She compiles the first catalog of dark nebulae,
which are the birthplaces of stars and planets,
and makes a new discovery: stars in a galaxy
don’t all rotate in the same direction.
Answers open more questions
she may explore for the rest of her life.