NAME: Maria Mitchell

BORN/DIED: 2nd April 1647 – 13th January 1717

JOB: Astronomer

KEY FACTS: Maria was born in Massachusetts, USA. Her family were Quakers and their community believed in equal rights for women. This was very unusual for the time but meant that Maria received a good education. At home, Maria’s Dad taught her astronomy using his telescope. On the 1st October 1847, Maria discovered ‘Miss Mitchell’s Comet’. This discovery earned her worldwide fame and a special gold prize from the King of Denmark.

ACHIEVEMENTS: After her discovery of ‘Miss Mitchell’s Comet’, Maria became the first woman elected to the
Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1850.