Clyde Tombaugh Quotes

A collection of quotes by Clyde Tombaugh.

Clyde Tombaugh (1906-1997) was an American astronomer best known for his pioneering discovery of the celestial object Pluto. Born in Streator, Illinois, Tombaugh developed a passion for stargazing from a young age. At the age of 22, he constructed his first telescope using spare parts. His dedication and talent led him to gain recognition from Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona.

In 1929, Tombaugh joined the observatory as a staff astronomer, tasked with the ambitious project of attempting to find a rumored ninth planet in our solar system. After months of meticulous observation using a Blink Comparator, he finally spotted a faint speck moving against the backdrop of stars. This discovery, made on February 18, 1930, led to the identification of Pluto, which was then considered the ninth planet.

Tombaugh's discovery of Pluto revolutionized our understanding of the outer solar system. He continued to study the dwarf planet and made further contributions to planetary science throughout his career. In addition to his work on Pluto, Tombaugh also discovered several asteroids and conducted extensive research on variable stars and galaxy motions.

Beyond his astronomical pursuits, Tombaugh served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and later taught at New Mexico State University. He published numerous scientific papers and received several prestigious awards for his groundbreaking contributions to astronomy. Clyde Tombaugh's legacy as the discoverer of Pluto remains a significant milestone in the history of space exploration.

I realized that I would have some very tough sledding, and I

I realized that I would have some very tough sledding, and I was very discouraged because I didn't see much hope of getting into the field I wanted to get into with no college education.

Clyde Tombaugh


Can you imagine young people nowadays making a study of trig

Can you imagine young people nowadays making a study of trigonometry for the fun of it? Well I did.

Clyde Tombaugh

Teen

Unfortunately, a lot of the concepts in the Bible are based

Unfortunately, a lot of the concepts in the Bible are based on ancient mythology that doesn't fit the findings of science.

Clyde Tombaugh

Science

I have a lot of sympathy for young people because I realize

I have a lot of sympathy for young people because I realize how disturbed I was. How would I deal with life in the future? What would I do for a living?

Clyde Tombaugh

Future

A person that much interested in science is going to neglect

A person that much interested in science is going to neglect his social life somewhat, but not completely, because that isn't healthy either. So one has to work it out according to one's own inclinations, how one wants to proportion these things.

Clyde Tombaugh

Science

I think there's a supreme power behind the whole thing, an i

I think there's a supreme power behind the whole thing, an intelligence. Look at all of the instincts of nature, both animals and plants, the very ingenious ways they survive. If you cut yourself, you don't have to think about it.

Clyde Tombaugh

Intelligence

That's the way I got along in life. I don't ever remember be

That's the way I got along in life. I don't ever remember being particularly jealous of anybody, because I figured if I can't do it myself, I don't deserve to get it.

Clyde Tombaugh

Jealousy

It was depressing, very depressing. I worried about how I wo

It was depressing, very depressing. I worried about how I would make a living. I didn't want to stay on the farm. It didn't offer the challenge I wanted and yet, without a college education, I felt that I was really out of luck.

Clyde Tombaugh

Education

I think the driving thing was curiosity about the universe.

I think the driving thing was curiosity about the universe. That fascinated me. I didn't think anything about being famous or anything like that, I was just interested in the concepts involved.

Clyde Tombaugh

Famous