Clyde Tombaugh
Science 102, Astronomy
Feb. 22, 2012
Clyde Tombaugh
Discoverer of Pluto
Table of contents
Introduction | 2 | Background | 2 | Major Contributions | 2, 3 | Pluto Data | 3 | Other Discoveries | 3, 4 | Conclusion | 4 | Pluto Data | 5 | Charts & Graphs | 6 | Works cited | 9 | Statement of Integrity | 10 | | |
Clyde Tombaugh was a self taught, amateur astronomer looking for some feedback of drawings he made based on his observations of the night sky. What he got, though, was a start in what would be a long and distinguished career in the field of astronomy and one of the most famed discoveries ever made by an American astronomer, he found the planet Pluto. Clyde Tombaugh was born in 1906 and raised in a small farming community in Streator Illinois and later moved to a family farm in Western Kansas. He had his first look through a telescope at age 14 and was hooked. He eventually began making his own telescopes and would go on to build over 30 in his lifetime. (http:starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov, Clyde Tombaugh) After building one particular telescope, one with a very accurate 9 inch reflector, he sent drawings of Jupiter and Mars to astronomers at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona for comments. They were so impressed with his work that they offered him a job. The Lowell observatory was working on the construction of a telescope with a 13 inch telescope and needed someone to take pictures and document the findings in a search for “Planet X”. The existence of Planet X was predicted by astronomer Percival Lowell who died in 1913. Tombaugh’s meticulous nature made him perfect for the job. By his own account he was a perfectionist, in his book, “Out of the Darkness, The Planet Pluto” he said “Nothing short of perfection would satisfy me” (117).
Only high school educated, Clyde Tombaugh went to work for the Lowell Observatory in January of 1929, in February of 1929 the 13 inch telescope was ready for use and on February 18,
Feb. 22, 2012
Clyde Tombaugh
Discoverer of Pluto
Table of contents
Introduction | 2 | Background | 2 | Major Contributions | 2, 3 | Pluto Data | 3 | Other Discoveries | 3, 4 | Conclusion | 4 | Pluto Data | 5 | Charts & Graphs | 6 | Works cited | 9 | Statement of Integrity | 10 | | |
Clyde Tombaugh was a self taught, amateur astronomer looking for some feedback of drawings he made based on his observations of the night sky. What he got, though, was a start in what would be a long and distinguished career in the field of astronomy and one of the most famed discoveries ever made by an American astronomer, he found the planet Pluto. Clyde Tombaugh was born in 1906 and raised in a small farming community in Streator Illinois and later moved to a family farm in Western Kansas. He had his first look through a telescope at age 14 and was hooked. He eventually began making his own telescopes and would go on to build over 30 in his lifetime. (http:starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov, Clyde Tombaugh) After building one particular telescope, one with a very accurate 9 inch reflector, he sent drawings of Jupiter and Mars to astronomers at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona for comments. They were so impressed with his work that they offered him a job. The Lowell observatory was working on the construction of a telescope with a 13 inch telescope and needed someone to take pictures and document the findings in a search for “Planet X”. The existence of Planet X was predicted by astronomer Percival Lowell who died in 1913. Tombaugh’s meticulous nature made him perfect for the job. By his own account he was a perfectionist, in his book, “Out of the Darkness, The Planet Pluto” he said “Nothing short of perfection would satisfy me” (117).
Only high school educated, Clyde Tombaugh went to work for the Lowell Observatory in January of 1929, in February of 1929 the 13 inch telescope was ready for use and on February 18,
Bibliography: Bye-Bye, Planet Pluto. Films Media Group, 2006. Films On Demand. Web.19 February 2012. <http://proxy.bucks.edu:2280/PortalPlaylists.aspx?aid=6885&xtid=36937> D’Alto, Nick Gibb, Meredith, and Whitlock, Dr. Laura. “Clyde Tombaugh.” Starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov. nasa.gov, n.d. web. Feb. 14, 2012 Levy, David Moore, Patrick, and Tombaugh, Clyde. Out of The Darkness, The Planet Pluto. Harrisburg: Stackpole Books, 1980. Print Schibeci, Renato