Introduction
This picture here is of Maria when she was a young woman.
Maria M. Winkelmann Kirch, born Maria Margarethe Winkelmann, lived 1670-1720. She was born February 25th, 1670 in Panitzsch, a village about 10 km. to the east of Leipzig, Germany, and died December 29th, 1720 in Berlin, Germany. She lived for 50 years. When she was young, she believed that she deserved the same education that boys her age got. Her father was a Lutheran minister and educated Maria at home. However, he died before her education was complete and her uncle became her tutor. Maria was interested in astronomy the most, so she took the opportunity to study with Christopher Arnold. Arnold was an excellent astronomer but had never studied the subject at a university. He lived in Sommerfeld, a small town about 7 km. from Leipzig. He had made quite a name for himself. in 1683, he made observations of a comet that he had seen that year, and in 1690 he made observations of the transit of Mercury.