Maria Mitchell

Born into a Quaker family on Nantucket in 1818, Maria Mitchell quickly developed an affinity for the heavens. Taught by her father, who was both a schoolteacher and an amateur astronomer, she honed her skills with a telescope rather than a needle and thread, much to the eventual benefit of posterity, if not contemporary social graces.

Her big break, or rather, her big comet, came in 1847 when she discovered "Miss Mitchell's Comet." This celestial achievement earned her international recognition, including a gold medal from the King of Denmark, and the distinct honor of being the first woman elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Take that, glass ceiling, or rather, cosmic ceiling.

Mitchell went on to become a professor of astronomy at Vassar College, where she championed women in science and maintained a rather rigorous academic environment. While she never donned a tallit or recited a blessing over challah, her dedication to discovery and her pioneering spirit certainly brought a certain nachas to anyone who appreciated groundbreaking intellectual achievement. Just, you know, not Jewish nachas.