On February 18, 1930, the American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto!
Before he discovered Pluto, another astronomer named Percival Lowell had spent over a decade trying to find it. He had theorized that a ninth planet existed based on wobbles seen in the orbits of Uranus and Neptune. But it wasn't until Tombaugh started using a new observation technique that Pluto was first spotted. The new technique involved something called a blink microscope, which Tombaugh used to compare photographic plates and look for signs of moving objects.
Before he discovered Pluto, another astronomer named Percival Lowell had spent over a decade trying to find it. He had theorized that a ninth planet existed based on wobbles seen in the orbits of Uranus and Neptune. But it wasn't until Tombaugh started using a new observation technique that Pluto was first spotted. The new technique involved something called a blink microscope, which Tombaugh used to compare photographic plates and look for signs of moving objects.
Category
🤖
TechTranscript
00:00 On this day in space.
00:03 On February 18th, 1930, the American astronomer Clyde Tombo discovered Pluto.
00:08 Before he discovered Pluto, another astronomer named Percival Lowell had spent over a decade trying to find it.
00:14 He had theorized that a ninth planet existed based on wobbles seen in the orbits of Uranus and Neptune.
00:19 But it wasn't until Tombo started using a new observation technique that Pluto was first spotted.
00:24 The new technique involved something called a blink microscope,
00:27 which Tombo used to compare photographic plates and look for signs of moving objects.
00:31 And that's what happened on this day in space.
00:34 [ ♪ ]