Nantucket's heavenly legacy: Maria Mitchell discovers a comet

Nineteenth Century Nantucket Cobblestone streets, brick mansions Whaling capital of the world Stately homes with rooftop lookouts

A Place in the History of Astronomy Familiar tools of navigation –Sextant –Telescope Maria Mitchell –Born 1818 –By age 12 Familiar with these tools Passionate sky-watcher

Fateful Night: Oct. 1, 1847 Rooftop telescope A fuzzy blob above the North Star –The Nantucket comet First comet found by U.S. citizen First comet found by a woman

Accolades and Awards King of Denmark –Gold medal Smithsonian –$100 prize American Academy of Arts and Sciences –First woman elected Vassar College, 1865 –First female astronomy professor in the U.S.

Other Notable Activities Solar eclipses –Lead expeditions Fund-raising –Vassar Observatory Observation –Great Comet of 1882 Womens’ rights –Salary equal to younger male professors

Commemorating Maria Mitchell Preserved childhood home Maria Mitchell Association –Encourages natural sciences –Summer student internships Promising students conduct experiments –Astronomy, biology, earth science On Nantucket Island

Original telescope she used The small telescope that Mitchell used to discover the Nantucket comet is now mounted in her childhood home on Vestal Street, across from the headquarters of the Maria Mitchell Association