Maria Mitchell Inspires a Generation . ... On October 1, 1847 Maria Mitchell swept the sky with her telescope and discovered a comet (comet Mitchell 1847VI). Honored and recognized internationally for her discovery, Mitchell , who lived from 1818 to 1889, became one of the most famous American scientists of her day . Vassar College appointed Mitchell the first woman Professor of Astronomy and she remained the only woman ever elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences until 1943. ...