An image of Clyde Tombaugh

Clyde William Tombaugh (February 4, 1906 – January 17, 1997) was an American astronomer who discovered the dwarf planet Pluto in 1930. Image File history File links Clyde_Tombaugh_image. ... Image File history File links Clyde_Tombaugh_image. ... February 4 is the 35th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... January 17 is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... An astronomer or astrophysicist is a scientist whose area of research is astronomy or astrophysics. ... Adjective Plutonian Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 0. ... 1930 (MCMXXX) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ...

Tombaugh was born in Streator, La Salle County, Illinois. After his family moved to Burdett, Kansas, Tombaugh built his first telescope and sent drawings of his observations of Jupiter and Mars to the Lowell Observatory. These resulted in a job offer. Tombaugh was employed at the Lowell Observatory from 1929 to 1945. Following his discovery of Pluto, Tombaugh earned astronomy degrees from the University of Kansas and Northern Arizona University. He taught astronomy at New Mexico State University from 1955 until his retirement in 1973. He died in 1997 and was survived by his wife Patricia, daughter Annette and son Alden, a retired banker.[1] Streator is a city located in La Salle County, Illinois in the midwestern United States. ... La Salle County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. ... Burdett is a city located in Pawnee County, Kansas. ... 50 cm refracting telescope at Nice Observatory. ... Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 70 kPa Hydrogen ~86% Helium ~14% Methane 0. ... Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the solar system, named after the Roman god of war (the counterpart of the Greek Ares), on account of its blood red color as viewed in the night sky. ... Lowell Observatory Percival observing Mars from the Clark telescope at the Lowell Observatory. ... Lowell Observatory Percival observing Mars from the Clark telescope at the Lowell Observatory. ... 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... The University of Kansas (often referred to as just KU or Kansas) is an institution of higher learning located in Lawrence, Kansas. ... Northern Arizona University (NAU) is a university in Flagstaff, Arizona in the United States. ... New Mexico State University, or NMSU, is a land-grant university that has its main campus in Las Cruces, New Mexico. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ...

Tombaugh was an active Unitarian-Universalist. The flaming chalice is a widely used symbol for Unitarian Universalism. ...

The asteroid 1604 Tombaugh 1, discovered in 1931, is named after him. He himself discovered 14 asteroids, beginning with 2839 Annette in 1929, mostly as a by-product of his search for Pluto and his further searches for other celestial objects. Tombaugh named some of them after his wife, children and grandchildren. The Royal Astronomical Society awarded him the Jackson-Gwilt Medal in 1931. An asteroid is a predominantly rocky body that orbits around its star. ... 1604 Tombaugh is an asteroid discovered by Carl Otto Lampland on March 24, 1931 at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) began as the Astronomical Society of London in 1820 to support astronomical research (mainly carried on at the time by gentleman astronomers rather than professionals). ... The Jackson-Gwilt Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society has been awarded regularly since 1897 for the invention, improvement, or development of astronomical instrumentation or techniques; for achievement in observational astronomy; or for achievement in research into the history of astronomy. ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ...

Part of his ashes are being carried on the New Horizons spacecraft which is travelling towards Pluto. New Horizons is a NASA unmanned mission to fly by Pluto and its moons. ...

Discovery of Pluto

Tombaugh created his photographic plates using this astrograph.

While a young researcher working for Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, Tombaugh found Pluto during a systematic search for a trans-Neptunian planet (also called Planet X), which had been predicted by Percival Lowell and William Pickering. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1995x2976, 619 KB)Astrograph at Lowell Observatory used in the discovery of Pluto. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1995x2976, 619 KB)Astrograph at Lowell Observatory used in the discovery of Pluto. ... Astrograph in Bolivia. ... Lowell Observatory Percival observing Mars from the Clark telescope at the Lowell Observatory. ... Nickname: City of Seven Wonders Location Location in Coconino County the state of Arizona Coordinates , Government Country State County United States Arizona Coconino County Mayor Joseph C. Donaldson Geographical characteristics Area     City 63. ... A trans-Neptunian object (TNO) is any object in the solar system that orbits the sun at a greater distance on average than Neptune. ... Planet X is a large hypothetical planet orbiting beyond the orbit of Neptune. ... Percival observing Mars from the Lowell Observatory. ... William Henry Pickering (February 15, 1858 – January 17, 1938) was an American astronomer, brother of Edward Charles Pickering. ...

Tombaugh's discovery involved painstaking use of a blink comparator to compare photographs of sections of sky taken several nights apart. Comparing the two images, a moving object such as a planet would appear to jump from one position to another, while the more distant objects such as stars would appear stationary. Tombaugh noticed such a moving object in his search, and subsequent observations showed it to be the object we call Pluto. The discovery was made on February 18, 1930, using images taken in January of the same year. This blink comparator at Lowell Observatory was used in the discovery of Pluto. ... February 18 is the 49th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1930 (MCMXXX) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ...

The name "Pluto" was suggested by Venetia Burney, then an 11-year-old English school girl, who is still alive and living in England. It won out over numerous other suggestions partly because it was named after the Roman god of the underworld, who was able to render himself invisible, and partly because Percival Lowell's initials PL formed the first 2 letters. The name Pluto was officially adopted on 1 May 1930. Venetia Burney (born 1919) or Venetia Phair (married name) was the first person to suggest the name Pluto for the planet discovered by Clyde W. Tombaugh in 1930. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the United Kingdom (light green), with the Republic of Ireland (blue) to its west Languages English Capital London Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population –mid-2004... Roman mythology, the mythological beliefs of the people of Ancient Rome, can be considered as having two parts. ... Pluto is an alternate name for the Greek god Hades, but was more often used in Roman mythology in their presentation of the god of the underworld. ... Percival observing Mars from the Lowell Observatory. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... 1930 (MCMXXX) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ...

On August 24, 2006, the International Astronomical Union moved Pluto from the eight "classical planets" and grouped it in with two similarly sized "dwarf planets." Tombaugh's widow Patricia stated after the IAU's decision that while Clyde may have been disappointed with the change since he had resisted attempts to remove Pluto's planetary status in his lifetime, he would have accepted the decision now if he was alive. She notes that Clyde "was a scientist. He would understand they (ie: astronomers) had a real problem when they start finding several of these [Pluto type] things flying around the place."[2] August 24 is the 236th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (237th in leap years), with 129 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Logo of the IAU The International Astronomical Union (French: Union astronomique internationale) unites national astronomical societies from around the world. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Naked eye planets. ... It has been suggested that Table of dwarf planets in the solar system be merged into this article or section. ...

Further search

Tombaugh continued searching for some years after the discovery of Pluto, and the lack of further discoveries left him satisfied that no other object of a comparable magnitude existed near the ecliptic. No more Trans-Neptunian objects were discovered until (15760) 1992 QB₁, in 1992. The apparent magnitude (m) of a star, planet or other heavenly body is a measure of its apparent brightness; that is, the amount of light received from the object. ... The plane of the ecliptic is well seen in this picture from the 1994 lunar prospecting Clementine spacecraft. ... (15760) 1992 QB1 (also written (15760) 1992 QB1) was the first trans-Neptunian object to be discovered after Pluto and Charon. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ...

However, more recently the relatively bright object 2005 FY₉ has been discovered. It has a relatively high orbital inclination, but at the time of Tombaugh's discovery of Pluto, 2005 FY₉ was only a few degrees from the ecliptic near the border of Taurus and Auriga. Unfortunately, this position was also very near the galactic equator, making it almost impossible to find such an object within the dense concentration of background stars of the Milky Way. 2005 FY9 (also written 2005 FY9), codenamed Easterbunny by its discoverers, is a very large Kuiper belt object discovered on March 31, 2005 by the team led by Michael Brown. ... Inclination in general is the angle between a reference plane and another plane or axis of direction. ... For other uses of the word Taurus see Taurus. ... Auriga (Latin for charioteer) is a northern constellation. ... Many galaxies, including the Milky Way in which our Sun and Earth are located, are disk-shaped: the majority of their visible mass (excluding possible dark matter) lies very close to a plane. ... The Milky Way (a translation of the Latin Via Lactea, in turn derived from the Greek Γαλαξίας (Galaxias), sometimes referred to simply as the Galaxy), is a barred spiral galaxy which forms part of the Local Group. ...

Asteroids discovered

Tombaugh compared his photographic plates using this blink comparator.

Tombaugh discovered a total of 14 asteroids, during his search for Pluto and years of follow-up searches looking for another candidate for the postulated Planet X. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1941x2226, 400 KB)Blink comparator at Lowell Observatory used in the discovery of Pluto. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1941x2226, 400 KB)Blink comparator at Lowell Observatory used in the discovery of Pluto. ... Asteroids is a popular vector-based video arcade game released in 1979 by Atari. ...

October 5 is the 278th day of the year (279th in Leap years). ... 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... December 24 is the 358th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (359th in leap years). ... 1930 (MCMXXX) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... October 9 is the 282nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (283rd in leap years). ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... October 5 is the 278th day of the year (279th in Leap years). ... 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... March 16 is the 75th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (76th in Leap years). ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... October 6 is the 279th day of the year (280th in leap years). ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... October 5 is the 278th day of the year (279th in Leap years). ... 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... December 13 is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1930 (MCMXXX) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... October 6 is the 279th day of the year (280th in leap years). ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... October 26 is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 66 days remaining. ... 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... September 16 is the 259th day of the year (260th in leap years). ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... October 17 is the 290th (in leap years the 291st) day of the year according to the Gregorian calendar. ... 1930 (MCMXXX) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... October 11 is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years). ... 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... October 10 is the 283rd day of the year (284th in Leap years). ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ...

Interest in UFOs

Tombaugh was probably the most eminent astronomer to have reported seeing Unidentified Flying Objects and to support the Extraterrestrial hypothesis. On August 20, 1949, Tombaugh saw several UFOs near Las Cruces, New Mexico. He described them as six to eight rectangular lights, stating: This is an alleged 1952 UFO over Passoria, New Jersey. ... The Extraterrestrial hypothesis (sometimes shortened to ETH) is the hypothesis that UFO reports are best explained as creatures from other planets, occupying physical extraterrestrial spacecraft visiting Earth. ... August 20 is the 232nd day of the year (233rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... UFO can mean: Unidentified flying object United Future Organization, a Japanese-Brazilian electronic jazz band UFO, the rock band that previously featured Michael Schenker UFO, the Gerry Anderson TV series United Farmers of Ontario, a political party that formed the government in Ontario from 1919 to 1923 U.F.O... Las Cruces is a city in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. ...

"I doubt that the phenomenon was any terrestrial reflection, because... nothing of the kind has ever appeared before or since... I was so unprepared for such a strange sight that I was really petrified with astonishment." [3]

A similar shocked response has been reported by many other who claim to have seen mysterious aerial objects.

Another sighting by Tombaugh a year or two later while at a White Sands observatory was of an object of -6 magnitude, four times brighter than Venus at its brightest, going from the zenith to the southern horizon in about 3 seconds. The object executed the same maneuvers as in Tombaugh's first sighting. (Steiger, 280, reported by Hynek)

Tombaugh was also later to report having seen three of the mysterious Green Fireballs, which suddenly appeared over New Mexico in late 1948 and continued at least through the early 1950s. (Despite this, the final report of Project Twinkle — see external link — claimed that he "... never observed an unexplainable aerial object despite his continuous and extensive observations of the sky.") A number of so-called Green Fireballs were reported in the skies of the southwestern United States, particularly New Mexico, beginning in late 1948. ... A number of so-called Green Fireballs were reported in the skies of the southwestern United States, particularly New Mexico, beginning in late 1948. ...

In 1956 Tombaugh had the following to say about his various sightings:

"I have seen three objects in the last seven years which defied any explanation of known phenomenon, such as Venus, atmospheric optic, meteors or planes. I am a professional, highly skilled, professional astronomer. In addition I have seen three green fireballs which were unusual in behavior from normal green fireballs ... I think that several reputable scientists are being unscientific in refusing to entertain the possibility of extraterrestrial origin and nature." [4](also, academic paper in External links)

Shortly after this in January 1957, in an Associated Press article in the Alamogordo Daily News titled "Celestial Visitor's May Be Invading Earth's Atmosphere," Tombaugh was again quoted on his sightings and opinion about them. Extraterrestrial, as an adjective, refers to something that originates, occurs, or is located outside Earth or its atmosphere. ... Associated Press logo The Associated Press, or AP, is an American news agency, the worlds largest such organization. ...

"Although our own solar system is believed to support no other life than on Earth, other stars in the galaxy may have hundreds of thousands of habitable worlds. Races on these worlds may have been able to utilize the tremendous amounts of power required to bridge the space between the stars..."

Tombaugh said he has observed celestial phenomena which he could not explain, but has seen none personally since 1951 or 1952. "These things, which do appear to be directed, are unlike any other phenomena I ever observed. Their apparent lack of obedience to the ordinary laws of celestial motion gives credence." (Clark, p. 896; Alamogordo News article)

In 1949, Tombaugh had also told the Naval missile director at White Sands Missile Range, Commander Robert McLaughlin, that he had seen a bright flash on Mars in August 1941, which he now attributed to an atomic blast (mentioned May 12, 1949, in a letter from McLaughlin to Dr. James van Allen). [5] Tombaugh also noted that the first atomic bomb tested in New Mexico would have lit up the dark side of the Earth like a neon sign and that Mars was coincidentally quite close at the time, the implication apparently being that the atomic test would have been visible from Mars. White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), formerly known as the White Sands Proving Grounds, is located in a valley between the Organ Mountains and the Sacramento Mountains of New Mexico. ... May 12 is the 132nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (133rd in leap years). ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... James Van Allen at National Air & Space Museum (NASM), 1981, Photo courtesy of NASM. Explorer I model and Pioneer H probe in background James Alfred Van Allen (born September 7, 1914) is considered Americas foremost space scientist. ...

In June 1952, Dr. J. Allen Hynek, an astronomer acting as a scientific consultant to the Air Force's Project Blue Book UFO study, secretly conducted a survey of fellow astronomers on UFO sightings and attitudes while attending an astronomy convention. Tombaugh and four other astronomers told Hynek about their sightings, including Dr. Lincoln La Paz of the University of New Mexico. Tombaugh also told Hynek that his telescopes were at the Air Force's disposal for taking photos of UFOs, if he was properly alerted. (Steiger, 268 - 285) Dr. J. Allen Hynek. ... Project Blue Book was one of a series of systematic studies of Unidentified flying objects (UFOs) conducted by the United States Air Force. ...

Near-Earth satellite search

Clyde Tombaugh (left) discussing search for near-Earth satellites with Dr. Lincoln La Paz (right), 3 March 1954. Photo from Albuquerque Journal

Tombaugh's offer may have led to his involvement in a search for near-Earth satellites, first announced in late 1953 and sponsored by the Army Office of Ordnance Research. Another public statement was made on the search in March 1954 (photo at right), emphasizing the rationale that such an orbiting object would serve as a natural space station. (articles) However, according to Donald Keyhoe, later director of the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP), the real reason for the sudden search was because two near-Earth orbiting objects had been picked up on new long-range radar in the summer of 1953, according to a Pentagon source of his. Image File history File links Astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discussing search for near-Earth satellites with University of New Mexico astronomer Dr. Lincoln La Paz, March 3, 1954. ... Image File history File links Astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discussing search for near-Earth satellites with University of New Mexico astronomer Dr. Lincoln La Paz, March 3, 1954. ... March 3 is the 62nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (63rd in leap years). ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A satellite is any object that orbits another object (which is known as its primary). ... Ordnance is a general term for a quantity of military equipment, usually specifying the ammunition for artillery, bombs, or other large weapons. ... The space station Mir A space station is an artificial structure designed for humans to live in outer space. ... Donald Edward Keyhoe (June 20, 1897 - November 29, 1988) was an American Marine Corps officer and writer best remembered for his many books and articles about unidentified flying objects. ... The National Investigations Committee On Aerial Phenomena (or NICAP) was a civilian unidentified flying object research group active in the United States from the 1950s to the 1980s. ... A pre-9/11 view of The Pentagon, looking east with the Potomac River and Washington Monument in the distance. ...

By May 1954, Keyhoe was making public statements that his sources told him the search had indeed been successful, and either one or two objects had been found. (articles) However, the story didn't really break until August 23, 1954, when Aviation Week magazine stated that two satellites had been found only 400 and 600 miles out. They were termed "natural satellites" and implied that they had been recently captured, despite this being a virtual impossibility. The next day, the story was in many major newspapers. Dr. La Paz was implicated in the discovery in addition to Tombaugh. La Paz had earlier conducted secret investigations on behalf of the Air Force on the Green Fireballs and other unidentified aerial phenomena over New Mexico. This is the song that never ends yes it gos on and on my friends some people started singing it not knowing what it was they just started singing it forever just becauseThis is the song that never ends yes it gos on and on my friends some... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Categories: Stub | Science & technology magazines ... A number of so-called Green Fireballs were reported in the skies of the southwestern United States, particularly New Mexico, beginning in late 1948. ...

La Paz vehemently denied his involvement in the search, although the New York Times reported on August 29 that a source close to the project said that the story was true and La Paz was indeed involved, in fact had been the one to spot and identify the objects as natural rather than artificial satellites. The same source denied the search had anything to do with flying saucers. (N.Y. Times articles) The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... August 29 is the 241st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (242nd in leap years), with 124 days remaining. ... UFO redirects here. ...

However, both La Paz and Tombaugh were to issue public denials that anything had been found. The May 1955 issue of Popular Mechanics magazine reported: The adolescent Internet. ...

"Professor Tombaugh is closemouthed about his results. He won't say whether or not any small natural satellites have been discovered. He does say, however, that newspaper reports of 18 months ago announcing the discovery of natural satellites at 400 and 600 miles out are not correct. He adds that there is no connection between the search program and the reports of so-called flying saucers." (Popular Mechanics article with photo)

At a meteor conference in Los Angeles in 1957, Tombaugh reiterated that his four year search for "natural satellites" had been unsuccessful. (Los Angeles Times, 4 September 1957) In 1959 Tombaugh was to issue a final report stating that nothing had been found in his search. September 4 is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years). ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In popular culture

Wilson Tucker published the 1960 novel To the Tombaugh Station (Ace Double). Wilson Tucker (born 1914) is an American science fiction writer and fan. ...

The 2006 album The Avalanche by Sufjan Stevens includes a song titled "For Clyde Tombaugh". // Events January - James Nicholl, drummer of Pay*Ola became ill and was admitted to hospital. ... The Avalanche is an album by indie rock singer/songwriter Sufjan Stevens, consisting of outtakes and other recordings from the sessions for his album Illinois. ... Sufjan Stevens (IPA pronunciation: ) (born July 1, 1975) is an American musician, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Detroit, Michigan. ...

In the Star Trek Universe there is a Federation starship USS Tombaugh, named after the astronomer. It was mentioned in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Infinite Regress". Star Trek is an American science-fiction franchise spanning six television series, ten feature films, hundreds of novels, computer and video games, and other fan stories. ... The starship Voyager (NCC-74656), an Intrepid-class starship. ... Redirect page ...

Sources

• Steiger, Brad, Project Blue Book, 1976, Ballantine Books, ISBN 0-345-34525-8 (Has Dr. J. Allen Hynek's 1952 letter to Project Blue Book about his astronomer UFO survey and Tombaugh's offer to assist the Air Force in photographing UFOs)
• Clark, Jerry, UFO Encyclopedia: Volume 2, 1997

Dr. J. Allen Hynek. ... Project Blue Book was one of a series of systematic studies of Unidentified flying objects (UFOs) conducted by the United States Air Force. ...

Further reading

• Falk, Dan, "More than a one-hit wonder", Astronomy, Feb. 2006, 40-45.
• Clyde Tombaugh: Discoverer of Planet Pluto, David H. Levy, Sky Publishing Corporation, March 2006

Quotes

• "Now I had figured out beforehand, if there was a Planet X, how I would recognize it if I encountered it."
• "I always wanted to know what's on the other side of the mountain."

External links

• Many biographical articles on Clyde Tombaugh
• Academy of Achievement Profile http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/tom0pro-1
• Academy of Achievement Biography http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/tom0bio-1
• Academy of Achievement Interview http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/tom0int-1
• Academy of Achievement Photo Gallery http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/tom0gal-1
• Quote from Tombaugh on UFOs
• UFO activities of Tombaugh
• Academic paper on Tombaugh's UFO activities and near-earth satellite search
• Final report of Project Twinkle