 
|
|||||||||
              
|
Her discovery of comet propelled Maria Mitchell's astronomy career
Monday, March 13, 2000
Maria Mitchell was the first woman acknowledged as an astrono-mer in the United States. (Her first name is pronounced 'Mariah,' like singer Mariah Carey.)
Mitchell was born in 1818 on the island of Nantucket. She attended school for only a short period of time and was largely self taught. Her father, who had been both a teacher and a part-time astronomer, helped her with her studies and encouraged her to pursue her interests in math and science.
In 1847, using a telescope her father had secured, she discovered a comet. Her discovery merited a gold medal from the king of Denmark. The attention that she received provided her with the resources to continue her astronomical studies.
In 1848, Mitchell was elected the first woman member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She became active in promoting women's equality and went on to help found the Association for the Advancement of Women.
In 1865, she became the first female professor of astronomy in the United States when she accepted a position at Vassar College, a women's college in New York. She also was the first woman named director of an observatory.
Mitchell left Vassar in 1888 because of declining health and she died less than one year later. She was elected to the Hall of Fame of Great Americans in 1905. Vassar College and the Maria Mitchell Observatory on Nantucket pay special tribute to her memory by offering programs that encourage young women to explore careers in astronomy.
-- By John G. Radzilowicz, Director, Henry Buhl, Jr. Planetarium & Observatory
|
||||||||
