OTD in Space – February 18: Pluto Discovered by Clyde Tombaugh
- last year
On February 18, 1930, the American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto! [‘On This Day in Space’ Video Series on Space.com](https://www.space.com/39251-on-this-day-in-space.html)
Before he discovered Pluto, another astronomer named Percival Lowell had spent over a decade trying to find it. He had theorized that a ninth planet existed based on wobbles seen in the orbits of Uranus and Neptune. But it wasn't until Tombaugh started using a new observation technique that Pluto was first spotted. The new technique involved something called a blink microscope, which Tombaugh used to compare photographic plates and look for signs of moving objects.
Before he discovered Pluto, another astronomer named Percival Lowell had spent over a decade trying to find it. He had theorized that a ninth planet existed based on wobbles seen in the orbits of Uranus and Neptune. But it wasn't until Tombaugh started using a new observation technique that Pluto was first spotted. The new technique involved something called a blink microscope, which Tombaugh used to compare photographic plates and look for signs of moving objects.