In July 1878, six women scientists, their attendants, a photographer and an artist gathered in Colorado on a panoramic plateau at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. The group had a shared mission: Observe a total solar eclipse. Leading the expedition was celebrated astronomer Maria Mitchell, the first American to discover a comet.
The eclipse captured national attention. The transcontinental railroad, completed the previous decade, made viewing the event accessible to people across the country. Mitchell and her crew — with telescopes and tents in tow — traveled from Boston, through Cincinnati, then Kansas City and on to Denver to watch a phenomenon that would last mere minutes.