Astronomy Picture of the Day · October 1, 1997

Maria Mitchell Inspires a Generation

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for October 1, 1997 is “Maria Mitchell Inspires a Generation,” an image. The picture is copyrighted by its creator (Credit and Copyright: Helen Wright). The original explanation runs about 124 words.

From the explanation

““Do not look at stars as bright spots only – try to take in the vastness of the universe.” Today is the 150th anniversary of the day Maria Mitchell swept the sky with her telescope and discovered the comet of 1847 (comet Mitchell 1847VI).”

— APOD editors, October 1, 1997

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date: October 1, 1997
Type: Image
Credit: Credit and Copyright: Helen Wright
Copyright: Copyrighted by the credited creator. Ask the copyright holder before reusing it.
Explanation length: About 124 words

All of October 1997 → · 1997 by month → · Full archive since 1995 →

Topics in this entry

Comets

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: October 1 in other years

On Amazon

Popular picks for space fans

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Electronics Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition 32GB Read astronomy and space-history books anywhere. View on Amazon → Electronics Bose QuietComfort Wireless Headphones Noise-cancelling headphones for documentaries and launch livestreams. View on Amazon →

Source

Astronomy Picture of the Day, October 1, 1997 — science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-1997-october-01-maria-mitchell-inspires-a-generation

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.