Tombaugh, Clyde William

Tombaugh, Clyde William
▪ 1998

      American astronomer (b. Feb. 4, 1906, Streator, Ill.—d. Jan. 17, 1997, Las Cruces, N.M.), discovered the planet Pluto, the ninth planet in the solar system and the only one found in the 20th century. Tombaugh was 24 years of age when he made the discovery in 1930 at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Ariz. At that time he had had no formal training in astronomy, only a keen interest that had been sharpened by his first glimpse of the heavens through his uncle's telescope. After finishing high school, Tombaugh built his own telescope according to specifications published in a 1925 issue of Popular Astronomy. Using this instrument, he made observations of Jupiter and Mars and sent sketches of these planets to Lowell Observatory, hoping to receive advice about his work. Instead, he received a job offer. Tombaugh's assignment was to locate the ninth planet, a search instigated in 1905 by astronomer Percival Lowell. To carry out this task Tombaugh used a 33-cm (13-in) telescope to photograph the sky and an instrument called a blink comparator to examine the plates for signs of moving celestial bodies. On Feb. 18, 1930, Tombaugh pinpointed Pluto, and on March 13 Lowell Observatory announced the discovery of the new planet. After his discovery Tombaugh attended the University of Kansas on a scholarship, returning each summer to the observatory until completing (1939) his M.A. in astronomy. Upon graduating he returned to the observatory and continued his patrol of the skies, cataloging more than 30,000 celestial objects before he left in 1946. His observations of Mars led him to conclude in 1950 that the surface of the planet would be pitted with craters as a result of its proximity to the asteroid belt, a prediction borne out by images taken by the Mariner 4 space probe in the 1960s. Tombaugh also taught at Arizona State College and at the University of California, Los Angeles, and he worked as an astronomer and optical physicist at White Sands Missile Range near Las Cruces, N.M., where he helped set up an optical tracking system to follow ballistic missiles. He joined the faculty of New Mexico State University in 1955 and there instituted a major program of planetary research. He retired in 1973 but remained involved as an observer and adviser at the university. In 1980 he published, with Patrick Moore, Out of the Darkness: The Planet Pluto.

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  • Tombaugh,Clyde William — Tom·baugh (tŏmʹbô ), Clyde William. 1906 1997. American astronomer who discovered the planet Pluto (1930). * * * …   Universalium

  • Tombaugh , Clyde William — (1906–1997) American astronomer Tombaugh came from a poor farming background in Streator, Illinois; although he never went to college he managed to teach himself enough of the basic observational skills to be taken on by the Lowell Observatory in …   Scientists

  • Tombaugh, Clyde William — ► (1906 97) Astrónomo estadounidense. Descubrió el planeta Plutón en 1930 …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Clyde William Tombaugh — Clyde Tombaugh Clyde William Tombaugh (* 4. Februar 1906 in Streator, Illinois; † 17. Januar 1997 in Las Cruces, New Mexico) war ein US amerikanischer Astronom. Er ist der Entdecker des Zwergplaneten …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Clyde William Tombaugh — Astéroïdes découverts : 14 (2839) Annette 5 octobre 1929 (2941) Alden 24 décembre 1930 (3310) Patsy 9 octobre 1931 (3583) Burdett 5 octobre 1929 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Tombaugh, Clyde W. — ▪ American astronomer in full  Clyde William Tombaugh   born Feb. 4, 1906, Streator, Ill., U.S. died Jan. 17, 1997, Las Cruces, N.M.       American astronomer who discovered Pluto in 1930 after a systematic search for a ninth planet instigated by …   Universalium

  • Clyde William Tombaugh — noun United States astronomer who discovered the planet Pluto (1906 1997) • Syn: ↑Tombaugh, ↑Clyde Tombaugh • Instance Hypernyms: ↑astronomer, ↑uranologist, ↑stargazer …   Useful english dictionary

  • Tombaugh — Clyde William …   Scientists

  • Tombaugh — Tombaugh, Clyde William …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Clyde Tombaugh — Clyde William Tombaugh Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory Born February 4, 1906(1906 02 04) in a ranch near Streator, Illinois, U.S. Died January 17, 1997(1997 0 …   Wikipedia

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