Aug 1, 1818: The birth of Maria Mitchell
Today in the history of astronomy, America’s first female astronomer is born.
The first female professional astronomer in America as well as the first American to discover a comet, Maria Mitchell — seen here at the telescope in the Vassar College Observatory — also spent her career advocating for women in science. Credit: Henry S. Wyer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Born Aug. 1, 1818, Maria Mitchell was raised in the Quaker tradition, which allowed equal education for boys and girls. This, plus lessons from her father, afforded her the opportunity to become skilled in astronomy, mathematics, and navigation. After a brief stint as a teacher, she became the first librarian of the Nantucket Antheneum. She continued making her astronomical observations throughout her time there, and was even employed by the U.S. Coast Survey to track planet movements and create navigation tables. On Oct. 1, 1847, she spotted a small object not on her charts, making her the first American to discover a comet.
The discovery brought her fame, and in 1865 she was recruited to be professor of astronomy and director of the observatory at Vassar College, then a women’s college. There she taught and advocated for women in the sciences until her 1888; she passed away the following year.
Elisa Neckar is senior production editor of Astronomy magazine, and the editor of the Today in the History of Astronomy feature on Astronomy.com.
