Miss Mitchell’s Comet

Maria Mitchell discovered a comet, but she also calculated data for the U.S. Coast Survey, built one of the first rigorous observatory programs for women in the United States, supported abolition, worked alongside suffragists, and challenged institutional pay inequality.

In this episode, Professor Meredith steps back and lets her sister lead a conversation about a woman who refused to be professionally contained. We talk about celestial navigation, the science of comets, Quaker radicalism, and why Mitchell’s life challenges the idea that women must narrow themselves to a single identity. A story about the stars and the freedom to embody multitudes.

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