Clyde Tombaugh

Clyde William Tombaugh (/ˈtɒmbaʊ/; February 4, 1906 – January 17, 1997) was an American astronomer best known for discovering Pluto, the first object to be identified in what would later be recognized as the Kuiper belt, in 1930.

Raised on farms in Illinois and Kansas, Tombaugh was largely self-taught in astronomy and optics, building his own telescopes before being hired by Lowell Observatory in Arizona. His meticulous photographic sky surveys led to the discovery of Pluto, which was at the time classified as the ninth planet in the Solar System.

Tombaugh also discovered numerous asteroids, star clusters, and galaxies, and made significant contributions to planetary observation and instrumentation. As a professor at New Mexico State University, he directed the Planetary Patrol project that confirmed the daily rotation period of Mercury, studied the Great Red Spot on Jupiter, and developed new photographic techniques for satellite searches.

After his retirement in 1973, Tombaugh remained actively engaged in astronomical research and education. He continued to build telescopes, contributed to observational programs, and called for serious scientific research of unidentified flying objects.