Discoverer of Pluto
During his youth, Tombaugh explored the heavens with homemade telescopes. Later he was hired by Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, Arizona, and discovered Pluto, the outermost planet in our solar system, in 1930.
During his planet search, Tombaugh photographed 65 percent of the sky and spent 7,000 hours examining about 90 million star images. Besides Pluto, his discoveries included six star clusters, one cloud of galaxies, one comet and about 775 asteroids. Few astronomers have seen so much of the universe in such minute detail.
Dr. Tombaugh earned degrees from the University of Kansas and Northern Arizona University. He concluded his career as an astronomy professor at New Mexico State University.
Erected by Lions Club, Burdett American Legion. (Marker Number 109.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Air & Space. A significant historical year for this entry is 1906.
Location. 38° 11.374′ N, 99° 31.773′ W.
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Central Kansas. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Corn Belt, on the prairies, on the Southern Plains, and on the Santa Fe Trail Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Comancherνa, the Dust Bowl, and the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 2 other markers are within 12 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Confrontation Ridge, April 14, 1867 (approx. 0.8 miles away); Wellmanville (approx. 11½ miles away).
Credits. This page was last revised on March 13, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 17, 2020, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 2,106 times since then and 103 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on November 17, 2020, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. 2. submitted on March 12, 2023, by Caleb McJunkin of Burdett, Kansas.
