Today in New Mexico History - February 18, 1930 - Pluto Discovered by Clyde Tombaugh

Discover the enthralling saga of how a young Kansas farm boy with a telescope rewrote astronomy books and what an 11-year-old English girl had to do with it. Our journey through the stars celebrates the momentous day when Clyde Tombaugh spotted the elusive ninth planet from the Lowell Observatory—a discovery that danced on the edge of myth and science.

We'll traverse the events leading up to the grand announcement of Pluto on Percival Lowell's would-be 75th birthday, a date shared with another groundbreaking astronomical find. Learn about the rich legacy of New Mexico's connection to this celestial story, how it immortalized Tombaugh's feat, and why Pluto's contentious planet status doesn't diminish the wonderment of its discovery. Tune in for a cosmic tale that's as boundless as space itself.

• https://lowell.edu/discover/history-of-pluto/
• https://earthsky.org/space/clyde-tombaugh-discovered-pluto-on-february-18-1930/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clyde_Tombaugh
• https://www.nmlegis.gov/sessions/07%20regular/memorials/house/HJM054.html
• https://nerdist.com/article/pluto-is-still-a-planet-by-law-whenever-it-passes-over-new-mexico/

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome.
This is Today in New MexicoHistory.
Today is February 18.
On Tuesday, february 18, 1930,clyde Tamba discovers Pluto in
Flagstaff, arizona, at theLowell Observatory.
He was continuing the searchfor a ninth planet that Percival
Lowell began in 1906.

(00:29):
The ninth planet to bediscovered, pluto, was the first
object to be discovered andwhat would later be identified
as the Kuiper Belt.
After discovery, lowellObservatory staff chose March 13
to announce its discovery,because that would have been
Percival Lowell's 75th birthday.

(00:50):
Additionally, william Herscheldiscovered Uranus on March 13,
1781.
What to name this new planet?
Three classical mythologicalnames were about equally popular
among the proposals for the newplanet Minerva, cronus and

(01:12):
Pluto.
Minerva was already in use andthe primary supporter of Cronus
was widely disliked, leavingPluto as a frontrunner Outside
of Lowell Observatory staff.
It was first proposed by an11-year-old English school girl
named Vanisha Burney.
Pluto of Roman mythology wasable to render himself visible

(01:35):
and, coincidentally, the firsttwo letters of Pluto form
Percival Lowell's initials.
In order to avoid namingcontroversy like Neptune, the
name was proposed to both theAmerican Astronomical Society
and the Royal AstronomicalSociety, both of which approved
unanimously.
The name was officially adoptedon May 1, 1930.

(02:00):
Clyde Talba was only 25 yearsold at the time of the discovery
and did not even yet have acollege degree at the time.
After his discovery, talbaobtained a scholarship and began
studying astronomy at theUniversity of Kansas, completing
his formal education in 1939.
Mr Talba.

(02:21):
Dr Talba taught astronomy atNew Mexico State University for
20 years and was a lifelongproud resident of the state.
On August 24, 2006, pluto wasdowngraded from major planet
status.
After Talba's death, it is nowconsidered a dwarf planet.
However, pluto will forever beknown as a major planet when it

(02:45):
passes New Mexico.
In 2007, the 48th legislaturepassed House Joint Memorial 54,
which reads Now therefore, be itresolved by the legislature of
the state of New Mexico that, asPluto passes overhead through
New Mexico's excellent nightsguys, it will be declared a

(03:07):
planet forever.
Thank you.
This is today in New Mexicohistory.