126 THE ISLAND OF NANTUCKET. 



Maria Mitchell, the astronomer, was born at Nan- 

 tucket, Aug. 1, 1818, the second daughter of Wil- 

 liam and Lydia Coleman Mitchell. She received her 

 education, in common with her brothers and sisters, in 

 part from her father and otherwise at private schools. 

 Showing an interest in her father's pursuit, — i. e. , the 

 study of the heavens, — she assisted him in his obser- 

 vations, and finally became a student of mathematical 

 astronomy. In 1847, with the smallest of her father's 

 telescopes, she discovered the comet which bears her 

 name, and her fame soon spread through America and 

 Europe. For this discovery a very fine gold medal 

 was sent to her by the King of Denmark, this medal 

 having been offered by Christian VIII. to the first dis- 

 coverer of any new comet. 



For a long time Miss Mitchell's observations were 

 made in her father's observatory with her father's 

 instruments. At length, in token of admiration for 

 her unwearied researches, Miss Elizabeth Peabody, 

 and a few other Massachusetts women, 'contributed 

 and presented to her a fine large telescope, for which 

 she erected an observatory near the site of the pres- 

 ent Coffin School-house. Before leaving Nantucket 

 (and for some years after), she was employed to make 

 computations for the " United States Nautical Alma- 

 nac," under the superintendence of Admiral Davis, 

 for which she received a handsome remuneration. 

 Feeling the limits of a residence at Nantucket too 

 binding for the scope of scientific knowledge, she pur- 

 chased a house in Lynn, transporting not only her 

 telescope but the observatory itself; and to this city 

 she removed, accompanied by her father. After a few 



