B3,+Wells,+Kyra,+Maria+Mitchell

=__Maria Mitchell__ = Maria Mitchell was born on the island of Nantucket, Massachusetts, in 1818. After being encouraged by her father, William Mitchell, a dedicated astronomer, she soon became the first acknowledged woman astronomer in the United States. throughout her career she was a dedicated astronomer who encouraged young women to aspire to be anything they want to be, much like her father taught her. Maria attended two small schools when she was young, one which her father was principal of, and afterwards attended the school her father founded, and also assisted him as a teaching aid. Maria's father taught her astronomy in their free time. At age twelve she helped her father calculate the exact moment of an annular eclipse. She attended an all girls school and then went to work as a teaching assistant before opening her own school in 1835.One year later she was offered the job of librarian of Nantucket Atheneum where she worked for eighteen years. Maria discovered "Miss Mitchell's comet" in the fall of 1847 using a telescope. She won a gold medal prize and was only one of a few women ever to discover a "telescopic comet" giving her worldwide fame. Maria became the first woman to join the American Academy of Art and Science in 1848 and of the American Association of the Advancement of Science in 1850. She later worked calculating the positions of Venus at the U.S. Nautical Almanac Office. She became an astronomy professor at Vassar College in 1865 and was named director of their observatory. Maria died at age 70, June 28th 1889. The Maria Mitchell Observatory was built in honor of her and is located in Nantucket, Massachusetts. The observatory is part o the Maria Mitchell Association which was made to preserve sciences, especially on the island. She was also later entered into the National Women's Hall of Fame.