How High School Drop Out Made a Famous Discovery in Arizona

Under a canvas of dark Arizona skies on February 18, 1930, a young astronomer named Clyde Tombaugh made a groundbreaking discovery.

While working at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, Tombaugh, who was just 24 years old at the time, was on a mission to find a mysterious Planet X. Tombaugh's predecessor, Percival Lowell, had theorized the existence of the planet years earlier, and continued to do so until he died in 1916.

Percival Lowell never lived to see the discovery of Pluto. Photo via Canva

In the early 1900s, Lowell began formulating his theories about the elusive planet because the orbits of Uranus and Neptune seemed to have some irregular anomalies. The distortions led him to believe another planetary body could be responsible.

A Young Astronomer Finds His Passion

Even though Lowell’s search for Planet X never panned out in his lifetime, his mathematical calculations laid the groundwork for those who would follow in his footsteps.

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Two years after Lowell died in 1916, 12-year-old Clyde Tombaugh discovered his love of astronomy while visiting the Yerkes Observatory in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Tombaugh's Uncle Lee helped foster Tombaugh's love of astronomy by gifting him an amateur telescope and several books on the subject.

Poor finances and weather problems on the family farm almost sidelined Tombaugh's dreams of astronomy. // Canva

Dropping Out of High School but Never Giving Up

Clyde Tombaugh's family were Kansas farmers. After years of failed crops and poor finances due to lousy weather, Tombaugh dropped out of high school in 1922 to help bring in the crops. He was able to return to school and graduated in 1925. In 1928, a hailstorm frustrated his dream of going to college when the family farm was again in peril.

READ: Did You See the "UFO" in the Skies Over Arizona?

Despite the setbacks, Tombaugh didn't give up on astronomy. In 1926, he began building a larger, more precise telescope on the family farm.

Tombaugh at his family's farm with his homemade telescope (1928) // via Wikipedia Commons

He made observations through his telescope and created drawings of Jupiter and Mars, which he sent to the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff. The Lowell staff was so impressed that they offered him a job, and he worked there from 1929 to 1945.

READ: Did You Know: There Are Over 600 Active Volcanoes in Arizona?

Finding Planet X

At Lowell, Tombaugh used a technique involving photographic plates and a blink comparator to compare images of the night sky.

One day, he noticed a tiny dot that had shifted positions—a clear sign of a new celestial body. This little dot turned out to be Pluto, the ninth planet in our solar system.

Artist impression of Pluto. // Canva

Pluto’s discovery was a big deal. It was the first planet found in the 20th century and added a whole new chapter to our understanding of the solar system. Tombaugh announced his discovery on March 13, 1930, which just happened to be Percival Lowell’s birthday.

READ: How to See This Amazing Meteor Shower in Arizona Skies

So, next time you gaze up at the night sky, remember the young astronomer in Arizona - who dropped out of school to help his family but never gave up on a dream that changed the world.

Photo: Clyde Tombaugh. (2024, September 5). In Wikipedia Commons.

LOOK: The states with the most UFO sightings

For each state, we’ve also included details of famous UFO sightings in that state. Of note is that almost three-quarters of all UFO sighting reports in the United States occur between 4 p.m. and midnight, and tend to peak between 9 and 10 p.m. Food for thought next time you're out scoping for alien life. Keep reading to see which states have had the most UFO sightings.

Gallery Credit: Nicole Caldwell & Matt Albasi