Maria Mitchell Research Paper

1068 Words3 Pages

For a long time, women’s potential in Science was little to none. However, over the years, it has now changed because of the outstanding breakthroughs and encouraging accomplishments women have done through the years. It is because of them, women’s potential in Science and other realms of studies has now evolved with more understandings and discoveries. It is for the reason of Maria Mitchell, one of the first female astronomers to be recognized in Science, that women’s potential were essentially respected. Her discoveries during her time as a student, a teacher, and an astronomer paved the way for many others, not just in Science, but also for woman’s rights and potential to be seen. On the evening of October 1, 1847, just half past ten, Maria Mitchell discovered a comet now known as “Miss Mitchell’s Comet”, which not only earned her a gold medal by King of Denmark, Frederick VI, but also the becoming the first women ever to be elected to the American Academy of Arts and Science in 1848 (“Maria Mitchell Biography”). Evidently Maria Mitchell was born to Quaker parents William and Lydia Mitchell on Nantucket on August 1, 1818. With the Quaker tradition, both females and males were educated, and it was because of her father’s deeply encouragement for his daughters to receive the same education, she was able to become the avid learner she was (“Young and Brave”). Her father was the most influential person in her life and was one of the foundations to her love of astronomy as he was an amateur astronomer himself. Mitchell was able to receive education from Cyrus Peirce’s School for Young Ladies (“About Maria Mitchell”). Just at the age of 12, she was able to calculate the position of their home by looking at a solar eclipse with h... ... middle of paper ... ...iography”). As well as being a powerful beginning to opening women’s potential into science, she would later befriend Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, amongst other women rights leaders. Maria Mitchel retired from Vassar in 1888, but continued her research. Sadly though, she passed away on June 28, 1889 of a brain disease, but not before proving her women’s potential in science (“Young and Brave”). After her death, Maria Mitchell was elected to the Hall of Fame of Great Americans at New York University when it began in 1905. In her honor, the Nantucket observatory was named Maria Mitchell Observatory in addition to the Maria Mitchell Association, a World War II ship named the SS Maria Mitchell, and a crater of the moon named Mitchell’s Crater (“Maria Mitchell”). In 1994, she was also elected to the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, New York.

Open Document