By Miguel Mike Medina
Photo Credit: Bettmann / Contributor via Getty Images)
Clyde Tombaugh was an astronomer who made drawings of Mars and Jupiter.
Tombaugh’s uncle is an unsung hero because he was instrumental in helping Tombaugh fall in love with astronomy. His uncle gave him a telescope, which changed Tombaugh’s life forever. He found his calling.
When a person is blessed with intelligence and creativity, there’s no limit to what they can do, and they expect to be great in what they desire. Clyde was extremely clever and creative. He became a master at creating telescopes, fixing and modeling his lenses and mirrors.
Tombaugh accomplished many things in his life, but his signature moment came when he discovered Pluto, which is considered by many to be the ninth planet. The discovery of the new planet took place in 1930, when Tombaugh was 24 years old.
He attended the University of Kansas and graduated in 1936. In addition to discovering Pluto, he was a professor at New Mexico State University. He demonstrated outstanding leadership and passed on knowledge to his students. Tombaugh was responsible for the success of the Planetary Patrol project.
1945 was a big year for Tombaugh. He discovered a variety of star clusters of galaxies, hundreds of asteroids, two comets, and one nova. In 1970, he earned a PH.D from the Department of Astronomy at New Mexico State University.
Tombaugh’s longevity in astronomy is highly respected by everyone who met him, worked with him, and students who have a deep passion for and studied astronomy. Tombaugh belongs on everyone’s list of great minds in astronomy. He embodies what a true professional in astronomy should aim for.
Tombaugh passed away in 1997 in New Mexico at the age of 90. He left an incredible legacy of decades of work.
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com
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