Caption: A cartoon of Clyde Tombaugh (1906--1997): portrait of a scientist as a young nerd.
Features:
- On 1930
Feb18,
the 24 year-old Clyde Tombaugh
working at
Lowell Observatory in
Flagstaff, Arizona.
discovered
Pluto using
a blink comparator
discovered Pluto
within 6 degrees of a prediction of
Percival Lowell (1855--1916) for
where it should be based on
astronomical perturbations
of the orbits of
Uranus
and Neptune
(FMW-238--239;
New Mexico State University Clyde Tombaugh Biographical Outline).
- Actually, Lowell's prediction
was wrong and the proximity of Pluto
to it was just a lucky accident
(No-431).
Pluto's
mass is far too small
to cause significant
astronomical perturbations
of the orbits of
Uranus
and Neptune.
- Pluto was named for the
Roman god the
mythical Pluto,
who was god
of the underworld and
also of wealth.
This name is appropriate given Pluto's
remoteness in the darkness of
space.
The mythical Pluto is
syncretized to the
Greek god
Hades.
- Pluto was given the
astronomical symbol ♇
(a monogram of
upper case
letters
P and
L)
for Pluto,
Percival Lowell,
and, one ventures,
plutocrat---Lowell was a wealthy man---a magnates, in fact,
and a Boston Brahmin.
- Pluto was long considered a
planet, now degraded to
dwarf planet---but a faded glory lingers---it's
the only ex-planet.
Image link: Itself.
Local file: local link: clyde_tombaugh.html.
File: Astronomer file: clyde_tombaugh.html.