A Year of Weary Guiding
His triumph comes to culminate more than a year of weary "guiding" at the eyepiece of the big thirteen-inch refractor type special photographic telescope at the observatory. He first found it January 21, but its discovery was not announced until last Thursday night, because Dr. V.M. Slipher, head of the observatory staff, wanted to wait until the new planet's existence could be proven beyond the shadow of a doubt. Through the super-imposition of plates this was done, and as a result young Tombaugh has at a single leap attained that great place, which other astronomers have gotten grey trying to attain and gone to their graves with their hopes unfulfilled.
It was about twenty-five years ago that the planet's existence was first suspected by the late Dr. Percival Lowell. His observations at the time led him to believe another planet existed and while his calculations substantiated his theory; there he was forced to stop because of the sudden intervention of death.
A Speck of Light On a Photographic Plate.
At his death the work was continued by other scientists keeping untiring vigil in the huge Lowell dome, but until young Tombaugh observed a "strange" flash of starlight on one of his photographic plates, this solar marcher had played its game of hide-and-seek with astonomers successfully.
Following the passing of Dr. Lowell, C.O. Lampland, E.C. Slipher, J.C. Duncan, K.P. Williams, E.A. Edwards and T.B. Gill, all scientists at the Lowell observatory, took up the work of locating the planet supposed to be playing around away beyond Neptune. At last the efforts of years bore fruit and the discovery announced to startle the world. Clyde's part soon became known and he, with his associates at the obervatory are now receiving the ovation of the scientific world.
The planet has not yet been named, according to the latest dispatches. A number of suggestions by those best fitted to offer them have been made, however.
Roger Lowell Putnam, of Springfield, Mass., a member of the board of trustees of the observatory and the late Dr. Lowell's nephew, had announced "Atlas" as the name most appealing to him. He also favors Constance as a name, honoring Dr. Lowell's widow. Mrs. Lowell, however, would rather have the planet named after her husband, calling it Percival; and so although little more is now known than that the planet actually exists, the atmosphere about the situation has not settled yet by any means.
Learned About Astronomy in a Pawnee County Farmyard
Pawnee county has something to be justly proud of here. It would have been no small thing for an astronomer, working with the best of university education and with years of experience behind him, but for a youth of twenty-four, who learned all he knew about astronomy in his father's farm yard and studying from what books he could gather together in his little bedroom at home, it became an achievement in a class by itself.
While an interest in a study of the stars has never particulary run in the family, Mr. Tombaugh and his brother, L.M. Tombaugh, now of Streator, Illinois, became somewhat interested as boys and built themselves a little ten power telescope. Using this, they came to know and recognize some of the more important stars and constellations, and it was information gained in this way passed on to Clyde which first started the boy's interest, when he was only nine years old. His father gave him the little telescope which had ben preserved and he would often set it up on the fence post at night to make observations.
To Flagstaff in January, 1929
It was late in the fall of 1928 that he sent drawings and calculations to Dr. Slipher at the observatory with application for a position there. So much was Dr. Slipher impressed that he decided to put Clyde in charge of the operation of the 13-inch photographic telescope, which was just then being installed. He was notified to come as soon as he could. Winding up his affairs at home early in January of last year he left for the observatory where he at once began to take photographs of the solar system and compile other astronomical data, which led to the discovery of the new space inhabitant.
Until Last Thursday Only Eight Known Planets
Clyde's discovery of the new planet is universally acclaimed by astronomers all over the world to be the greatest single event in that science since the discovery of Neptune in 1846. According to Professor Harlow Shapley, director of the Harvard observatory, Neptune was discovered in much the same way. Scientists first basing their theories of its existence on mathematical calculations.
The known planets, until last Thursday, were in the of their remoteness from the sun, Mercury, Venus, the earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. It was the peculiar pull the planet exerted on Uranus, that first gave the late Dr. Lowell his idea something was doing in the solar system that hadn't been accounted for.
Built a Telescope at Twenty
Gradually the fire of enthusiam tightened its grip on him, until he was no longer satisfied with the power of his father's homemade instrument, and he decided when he was only twenty years old to build one for himself. It took him four long weary months to build it. He had to get the materials for construction whenever he could, and grind the lenses himself. Schoolmates hearing of it called him foolish for wasting so much time that way, but, according to his father, this only served to increase his resolve to conquer the heavens. When it was finally completed it would magnify clearly to 100 diameters. It was made in the shape of a long square box, but with its eight inch reflector he was enabled to study the skies to his hearts delight, and this he did for hour after hour, daily gleaning something of the knowledge which was required finally for his great discovery.
In the meantime he sought authoritative works on astronomy. He bought what he could, borrowed the others and whenever he was in the vicinity of a good library where the works of that sort could be obtained he would slip in and spend hours with pad and pencil taking copious notes, later to be studied over in his room for practical use in observation.
He questioned the professors at the Burdett high school and they told him as much as they could. He put it all away in his mind, and each new bit of information gained was pigeonholed to be called forth for use as needed.
Built Two Large Telescopes Here
With the advent of the next year, his uncle in Streator wishing to continue his own boyhood interest, requested Clyde to build him a telescope. Clyde went to work and fashioned one which would magnify to 150 diameters, with a seven inch reflector. The telescope was equipped with a special polar axis mounting so that the North star could be observed without continually making changes in the directing apparatus. He spent numerous spare hours building it and when it was finished, although he didn't realize it, he had stepped up the second round on the ladder to success.
He had talked a little up to that time of making an effort to photograph the heavens, but soon came to the conclusion this would require more expensive and delicate apparatus than he would be able to make with the funds at his disposal, so in order to provide an outlet for his rapidly increasing interest he decided to build a bigger and better telescope. This was built when he was only twenty-two years old. With a nine inch reflector, it magnified very clearly to 300 diameters and repaid him well for the tedious hours required in building. Almost six months were consumed in the process of construction. He mounted it on a special base in the front yard and used it to make the calculations and observations, which won for him his position among some of the most eminent astronomers in the country at the Lowell observatory.
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