History of the Discovery of Pluto
On February 18, 1930, one of the most fascinating realities of our solar system was unveiled: the discovery of the ninth planet in our Solar System, Pluto. The history of its discovery is as interesting as the celestial body itself.
Since the discovery of Uranus in 1781, and Neptune in 1846, astronomers believed there was yet another planet waiting to be found. The search began in 1906 when Percival Lowell, a wealthy Bostonian who had established the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, started the search for what he termed “Planet X.” Lowell’s mathematical computations suggested that the wobbles in Uranus’ and Neptune’s orbits were due to the gravitational pull of an unknown ninth planet.
Unfortunately, Lowell died in 1916 without finding Planet X. However, the quest for the planet continued even after his death. In 1929, the task was handed over to Clyde Tombaugh, a young farm boy from Kansas who had just joined the Lowell Observatory.
Armed with a photographic telescope, Tombaugh took images of the same section of the sky several nights apart, then compared them to find if any objects had changed position. After a grueling search that spanned almost a year, on February 18, 1930, Tombaugh noticed an object that had moved slightly. The movement indicated a possibility that this celestial object was not a star but a planet in our Solar System. The new planet was named Pluto, after the Roman god of the underworld, bestowing a fitting name to such a remote and mysterious object.
Pluto’s discovery was indeed a milestone in human history, redefining our understanding of our solar system. It has spurred more interest and further cosmic exploration, contributing to our extensive knowledge of space.
Questions and Answers:
1. When was Pluto discovered?
Answer: Pluto was discovered on February 18, 1930.
2. Who was instrumental in discovering Pluto?
Answer: Clyde Tombaugh was instrumental in discovering Pluto.
3. What was the planet ‘Pluto’ initially named?
Answer: Initially, it was referred to as Planet X.
4. What method did Clyde Tombaugh use for finding Pluto?
Answer: Tombaugh took images of the same section of the sky several nights apart and compared them to check if any objects had moved positions.
5. Who began the search for Pluto?
Answer: Percival Lowell began the search for Pluto.
6. What was proposed as the primary reason for the search for Pluto, or ‘Planet X’?
Answer: The wobbles in Uranus’ and Neptune’s orbits due to the gravitational pull suggested the existence of another planet.
7. Where was the Lowell Observatory, the site of Pluto’s discovery, located?
Answer: The Lowell Observatory was in Flagstaff, Arizona.
8. Why was the planet named Pluto?
Answer: Pluto, the Roman god of the underworld, was chosen to reflect the planet’s mysterious and remote qualities.
9. What was Clyde Tombaugh’s occupation before joining the Lowell Observatory?
Answer: Clyde Tombaugh was a farm boy from Kansas before he joined the Lowell Observatory.
10. Did Percival Lowell live to see the discovery of Pluto?
Answer: No, Percival Lowell died in 1916, before the discovery of Pluto.
11. When was the search for ‘Planet X’ initiated?
Answer: The search for ‘Planet X’ was initiated in 1906.
12. How long did it take for Clyde Tombaugh to discover Pluto after he started searching?
Answer: It took Tombaugh nearly a year to discover Pluto.
13. Why did Tombaugh suspect the object he found might be a planet?
Answer: Tombaugh suspected the object to be a planet because of the slight movement he noticed, differentiating it from a stationary star.
14. Was Pluto the first planet discovered in the 20th century?
Answer: Yes, Pluto was the first planet discovered in the 20th century.
15. What significant changes in the solar system did Pluto’s discovery bring about?
Answer: Pluto’s discovery redefined our understanding of the solar system and spurred further cosmic exploration.
16. Where was Clyde Tombaugh from?
Answer: Clyde Tombaugh was from Kansas.
17. Was Tombaugh the first to suspect a ninth planet existed?
Answer: No, the possibility of a ninth planet was suspected by Percival Lowell.
18. What did Pluto’s discovery mean for space exploration?
Answer: Pluto’s discovery sparked more interest in space exploration and led to more extensive research about our solar system and beyond.
19. Was Pluto’s discovery announced immediately after its detection?
Answer: Yes, Pluto’s discovery was announced soon after its detection.
20. Is Pluto still considered a planet?
Answer: Pluto was downgraded to the status of a ‘dwarf planet’ by the International Astronomical Union in 2006.
