Maria Mitchell Observatory

An observatory in Nantucket, Massachusetts, founded in 1908 as a memorial to Maria Mitchell (1818-88), a pioneering scientist and teacher in an era when very few women took on such academic work. She won international fame after discovering a comet in 1847. The observatory was established by the Maria Mitchell Association. It houses 18-centimetre (7-inch) and 20-centimetre (8-inch) telescopes used primarily for educational purposes. Variable-star work is undertaken.