Tombaugh

Tombaugh refers to a surname, most notably associated with the American astronomer Clyde W. Tombaugh. Clyde William Tombaugh (1906–1997) was an American astronomer who is best known for the discovery of Pluto in 1930 at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Tombaugh was born on February 4, 1906, in Streator, Illinois. He joined Lowell Observatory in 1929 and conducted a focused search for a predicted ninth planet in the outer solar system. His work relied on photographic plates and the use of a blink comparator, an instrument that allowed the rapid comparison of paired photographs to detect moving objects across time.

In 1930, Tombaugh identified a new celestial body by comparing plates taken weeks apart, leading to the recognition of Pluto. The discovery was announced by the observatory and became a milestone in planetary science, expanding the known boundaries of the solar system for several decades. Pluto remained classified as a planet until 2006, when the International Astronomical Union redefined the term planet and designated Pluto as a dwarf planet.

Tombaugh continued to work at Lowell Observatory, contributing to astronomical research and instrumentation. In his honor, the surface region Tombaugh Regio on Pluto was named after him. Clyde W. Tombaugh passed away in 1997 and is remembered for his pivotal role in one of the most famous discoveries in astronomy.