Later this week, NASA’s New Horizons probe will start observing Pluto and its moons, But alongside its scientific equipment, it was also be caring a small portion of the ashes of Clyde Tombaugh, the man who discovered Pluto.
Clyde William Tombaugh (February 4, 1906 – January 17, 1997) was an American astronomer. .
The Academy of Achievement tells how he began in astronomy:
“In 1926, at the age of 20, Tombaugh built his first telescope. Dissatisfied with the result, he determined to master optics, and built two more telescopes in the next two years, grinding his own lenses and mirrors, and further honing his skills.”
“Using these homemade telescope, he made drawings of the planets Mars and Jupiter and sent them to the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. The astronomers at Lowell were so impressed with the young amateur's powers of observation they invited him to work at the Observatory.”
“Clyde Tombaugh stayed at the Lowell Observatory for the next 14 years. The young astronomer earned a permanent place in the history of science when he discovered the planet Pluto on February 18, 1930.”
Tombaugh died on January 17, 1997, nine years before Pluto was demoted from planet status. In 2006, the International Astronomic Union voted to redefine the world "planet" and to re-classify Pluto, Xena and other newly discovered smaller bodies as "dwarf planets."
Now Alan Stern, the principal investigator of Nasa’s New Horizons mission, is mounting a campaign to have it reinstated to its rightful place. He said: “I think the public will discover it’s been a planet all along. When they see it close up, they won’t know what else to call it.”
He says that its demotion was “a gross mistake that is an embarrassment to astronomy”.
Dr Stern says that “in July we’ll have imagery so good that if we were flying over London we’d see the runways of the airports. “It’s like the old days of space exploration when we went to Mars and everything was new. To turn a point of light into a planet within a matter of weeks is amazing.”
References
http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/tom0bio-1
Clyde William Tombaugh (February 4, 1906 – January 17, 1997) was an American astronomer. .
The Academy of Achievement tells how he began in astronomy:
“In 1926, at the age of 20, Tombaugh built his first telescope. Dissatisfied with the result, he determined to master optics, and built two more telescopes in the next two years, grinding his own lenses and mirrors, and further honing his skills.”
“Using these homemade telescope, he made drawings of the planets Mars and Jupiter and sent them to the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. The astronomers at Lowell were so impressed with the young amateur's powers of observation they invited him to work at the Observatory.”
“Clyde Tombaugh stayed at the Lowell Observatory for the next 14 years. The young astronomer earned a permanent place in the history of science when he discovered the planet Pluto on February 18, 1930.”
Tombaugh died on January 17, 1997, nine years before Pluto was demoted from planet status. In 2006, the International Astronomic Union voted to redefine the world "planet" and to re-classify Pluto, Xena and other newly discovered smaller bodies as "dwarf planets."
Now Alan Stern, the principal investigator of Nasa’s New Horizons mission, is mounting a campaign to have it reinstated to its rightful place. He said: “I think the public will discover it’s been a planet all along. When they see it close up, they won’t know what else to call it.”
He says that its demotion was “a gross mistake that is an embarrassment to astronomy”.
Dr Stern says that “in July we’ll have imagery so good that if we were flying over London we’d see the runways of the airports. “It’s like the old days of space exploration when we went to Mars and everything was new. To turn a point of light into a planet within a matter of weeks is amazing.”
References
http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/tom0bio-1