The Rise And Fall Of Pluto

The Rise And Fall Of Pluto

Pluto was a world-changing event for its discovery, naming, and its demotion in the end. The discovery of Pluto was in motion before Pluto’s discoverer Clyde Tombaugh could even walk. In 1906, a man named Percival Lowell founded the Lowell Observatory. There was a constant search by Lowell and his colleagues for a “Planet X”. Lowell spent his days in persistent search until his death in 1916. After his death the search was halted until 1929; his widowed wife slowed search because of her legal holding of his observatory. She at the time wanted to sell the observatory for her benefit monetarily. The legal sessions partook for over ten years. Over time it was able to continue it’s astronomical studies. Director of the observatory, Vesto Melvin Slipher was in search of fine mind to continue search for Planet X. As history shows, Clyde Tombaugh would be a saving grace. The bright minded 23 year old was put to work right away. (Thomas, P. 437, 224)

On February 18, 1930, after more than a year of hard concentration, Tombaugh discovered possible moving objects. A low quality photograph taken proved there was a moving object in that vicinity. They decided this was something big and shared their knowledge with Harvard who backed them up and made it known. The discovery was a worldwide sensation! From New York to China there was talk and praise in the discovery of a possible new planet. The Lowell Observatory, had the naming rights when it came time for naming of their discovery. Thousands upon thousands of naming suggestions came poring in, from every corner of the earth with names from A to Z. Tombaugh was getting restless with director Slipher to choose quickly before it would become out of hand. Constance...

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...any of the other objects that we can identify in our solar system. But protests and argument aside, the vote passed and Pluto is now a “Dwarf Planet”. (Smith, Heather R, Nasa)

In conclusion the impact of Pluto was unarguably world changing. Not only in its discovery, but its naming and the end of its time as on of the true planets within our solar system. It led to protests and votes but the history of Pluto will always live on, it was one of the most important astrological discoveries and demotions we have ever known. Without this discovery the world would have never been the same. And with this experience we can now know more for the future discoveries, which will always come and be just as fascinating as they always have been. Science needs discoveries and arguments like this to keep the acceleration of our knowledge. From this we have the rise and fall of Pluto.