Pluto Day is celebrated annually on February 18 to commemorate the anniversary of the discovery of Pluto in 1930. The planet is known for its characteristic icy mountains. The tiny size of the planet was discovered by American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh. Until 2006, Pluto was considered one of the nine planets in the solar system together with Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Clyde discovered Pluto at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona just 84 years after the discovery of Neptune. It is believed that the first two letters in ‘Pluto’ were in honor of Percival Lowell whose belief that there were other planets beyond Neptune, helped fuel the drive that led to its discovery.
Pluto Day 2024: Significance
Pluto Day is a reminder that the history of space exploration is extremely important. It was when Clyde W. Tombaugh discovered Pluto. The discovery of Pluto was a historic moment that opened up the door for humanity to explore even further into outer space and understand more about our universe.
It proved to be a major stepping stone for humanity's understanding of the universe. Every year, Pluto Day serves as an inspirational reminder to never stop learning and exploring new frontiers in science and technology. The worldwide celebration of Pluto Day is indicative of how global collaboration and cooperation can lead to amazing research results. It shows that we can achieve astronomically great things together with dedication, enthusiasm, and support from all corners of the globe.
Pluto Day 2024: History
The journey to Pluto’s discovery began long before 1930, with roots tracing back to the 19th century when astronomers first noticed irregularities in Uranus’s orbit. This curiosity led to the discovery of Neptune, but even after Neptune was found, there were still unexplained perturbations in Uranus’s orbit, suggesting the existence of another, yet undiscovered planet. This quest for the mysterious “Planet X” was passionately pursued by Percival Lowell, and after his death, the baton was passed to Clyde Tombaugh, who eventually made the groundbreaking discovery of Pluto. On February 18, 1930, astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. Pluto's largest moon, Charon, was discovered by astronomer James Christy on June 22, 1978, enhancing our understanding of the distant world. In August 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) redefined the definition of a planet, leading to Pluto's reclassification as a "dwarf planet". NASA's New Horizons spacecraft performed a flyby of Pluto on July 14, 2015, providing the most detailed images and data about Pluto to date. Every year on February 18, Pluto Day is celebrated to commemorate the discovery of this distant dwarf planet.
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