PaulSthcoast
01-08-2024, 10:40 AM
Hi everyone.
August 1st is International Woman's Astronomer's Day.
As listed in The International Dates Calendar it states....
Women Astronomers Day falls on August 1st. When opening an astronomy book, it could seem like only men contributed to important astronomical discoveries! Yet, women played a key tool too. On that day, The first female astronomer in America, Maria Mitchell, was born in 1818. In 1847, she discovered a comet named 1847 VI (C/1847 T1), later nicknamed “Miss Mitchell’s Comet” in her honor. Today is the opportunity to celebrate all amazing women in astronomy chasing their dreams and encourage girls to consider careers in astronomy.
Text and image via The International Days website.
Also, from the Society for the History of Astronomy
Today is the anniversary of the birth, in Nantucket, Massachusetts on 1 Aug 1818, of the American astronomer Maria Mitchell. The first woman to work as a professional astronomer in the USA, she became interested in the night sky at an early age after having been taught astronomy by her father. Maria gained fame when her prolonged search for a comet came to fruition when she observed a 6th magnitude comet on the evening of 1 Oct 1847 and was the first to report it. Although several other observers spotted the comet over the next few days, Maria Mitchell was credited with the original discovery. Comet 1847 VI (modern designation C/1847 T1) became known as ‘Miss Mitchell’s Comet’ and the discovery resulted in her being awarded a medal by King Frederick VI of Denmark who some years previously had established gold medal prizes to be awarded to the first discoverers of ‘telescopic comets’ (comets which were too faint to be seen with the naked eye). The prize was given to the first discoverer only, later independent discoverers of each such comet not qualifying for the award. Winning this prize gave Maria Mitchell worldwide fame, the only previous women to discover comets being the astronomers Caroline Herschel and Maria Margarethe Kirch. In 1848, Maria Mitchell became the first woman to be elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, this being followed in 1850 by election to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Philosophical Society in 1869, and becoming professor of astronomy at Vassar College in 1865, where she was later named as Director of Vassar College Observatory. She taught at the college until her retirement in 1888. The work and achievements of Maria Mitchell are described in the classic biography 'Sweeper in the Sky: The Life of Maria Mitchell' (1949) written by the American astronomer and historian Mary Helen Wright Greuter. The 30 km diameter lunar crater Mitchell, located on the southern shores of Mare Frigoris (pictured here adjoining the eastern rim of the much larger crater Aristoteles), is named in her honour.
To all our female astrnomers,
enjoy your special day, and night !!
Paul.
August 1st is International Woman's Astronomer's Day.
As listed in The International Dates Calendar it states....
Women Astronomers Day falls on August 1st. When opening an astronomy book, it could seem like only men contributed to important astronomical discoveries! Yet, women played a key tool too. On that day, The first female astronomer in America, Maria Mitchell, was born in 1818. In 1847, she discovered a comet named 1847 VI (C/1847 T1), later nicknamed “Miss Mitchell’s Comet” in her honor. Today is the opportunity to celebrate all amazing women in astronomy chasing their dreams and encourage girls to consider careers in astronomy.
Text and image via The International Days website.
Also, from the Society for the History of Astronomy
Today is the anniversary of the birth, in Nantucket, Massachusetts on 1 Aug 1818, of the American astronomer Maria Mitchell. The first woman to work as a professional astronomer in the USA, she became interested in the night sky at an early age after having been taught astronomy by her father. Maria gained fame when her prolonged search for a comet came to fruition when she observed a 6th magnitude comet on the evening of 1 Oct 1847 and was the first to report it. Although several other observers spotted the comet over the next few days, Maria Mitchell was credited with the original discovery. Comet 1847 VI (modern designation C/1847 T1) became known as ‘Miss Mitchell’s Comet’ and the discovery resulted in her being awarded a medal by King Frederick VI of Denmark who some years previously had established gold medal prizes to be awarded to the first discoverers of ‘telescopic comets’ (comets which were too faint to be seen with the naked eye). The prize was given to the first discoverer only, later independent discoverers of each such comet not qualifying for the award. Winning this prize gave Maria Mitchell worldwide fame, the only previous women to discover comets being the astronomers Caroline Herschel and Maria Margarethe Kirch. In 1848, Maria Mitchell became the first woman to be elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, this being followed in 1850 by election to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Philosophical Society in 1869, and becoming professor of astronomy at Vassar College in 1865, where she was later named as Director of Vassar College Observatory. She taught at the college until her retirement in 1888. The work and achievements of Maria Mitchell are described in the classic biography 'Sweeper in the Sky: The Life of Maria Mitchell' (1949) written by the American astronomer and historian Mary Helen Wright Greuter. The 30 km diameter lunar crater Mitchell, located on the southern shores of Mare Frigoris (pictured here adjoining the eastern rim of the much larger crater Aristoteles), is named in her honour.
To all our female astrnomers,
enjoy your special day, and night !!
Paul.