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How many di erences can you nd between these two pictures?
Replace the missing words.
They believed it was a __________ because of the way it moved, which was ________________ from the paths of the stars and planets. Maria tracked this little spot of light’s ________________ and then asked her friend Professor Bond what he thought. He watched it for a couple of nights and __________ that this was a comet.
On the night of October 1, 1847, Maria Mitchell looked through her rooftop telescope and saw a spot of _________ she had never seen before. She showed her dad and they both believed she had __________ a new comet. Miss Mitchell’s Comet
Standards Link: Reading Comprehension: Use context clues to determine the meaning of words.
A Love of Learning
Maria lived on Nantucket island, off the coast of Massachusetts. At that time, whaling was the way people made their living on this island. The sailors who hunted whales used the stars at night to guide their ships. How many stars do you see? Whales and Stars
Maria never went to school to be an astronomer. Yet she learned how to read the skies and solve math
problems that described the movements of stars, planets, comets, moons, and asteroids. How did she learn this? Hold this page up to a mirror to read the answer.
Harvard Help
Maria helped her father with star observations for the United States Coast Survey. From their rooftop, they took measurements to help sailors use the stars to navigate at sea. Through the work for the Coast Survey, Maria became friends with Professor William Bond at Harvard University. In those days, women could not go to Harvard. But Professor Bond helped Maria with her understanding of astronomy on his own.
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© Vicki Whiting March 2025
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