Historical Events tagged with "pluto"

Turns out history loves a label—battles, breakthroughs, and the occasional disaster, all neatly tagged for your browsing pleasure. Because sometimes you just need every weird invention in one place.

Space Exploration

Proposal of 'Pluto' as a Dwarf Planet Name

May 1st, 1930 94 years ago

Vesto Slipher of Lowell Observatory proposed 'Pluto' as the name for a newly discovered dwarf planet in the 1930 Lowell Observatory Observation Circular. The proposition caught public attention, becoming widely adopted in astronomy and popular culture. The choice honored the Roman god of the underworld, reinforcing the mysterious nature of this distant celestial body. The name 'Pluto' was suggested after a poll among the staff at Lowell Observatory, which resonated with both scientific and mythological significance.

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Space Exploration

Discovery of Pluto Announced by Lowell Observatory

March 13th, 1930 95 years ago

Astronomer Clyde Tombaugh announces the discovery of Pluto, the first trans-Neptunian object. This announcement by the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, marked a significant milestone in astronomy and deepened our understanding of the solar system. Tombaugh's systematic search for a ninth planet was driven by discrepancies in the orbits of known planets, leading to this groundbreaking discovery.

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Space Exploration

Clyde Tombaugh Discovers Pluto

February 18th, 1930 95 years ago

Clyde Tombaugh, an American astronomer, made a groundbreaking discovery while examining photographs taken in January. Working at the Lowell Observatory in Arizona, he was searching for a ninth planet beyond Neptune. His meticulous analysis of photographic plates ultimately led to the identification of a new celestial body, which would later be named Pluto, marking a significant milestone in astronomy.

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Space Exploration

Discovery of Ceres by Giuseppe Piazzi

January 1st, 1801 224 years ago

Giuseppe Piazzi discovered Ceres, the first known asteroid, on January 1, 1801, while observing the night sky from Palermo, Sicily. This celestial body, later classified as a dwarf planet, was found amidst the transition between the planet classifications of celestial objects. Piazzi initially thought he had found a new planet, naming it after the Roman goddess of agriculture, Ceres. The discovery marked a significant addition to the understanding of objects in our solar system and laid the groundwork for future astronomical studies.

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Space Exploration

Pluto's Orbit Crosses Neptune's Path

July 11th, 1735 289 years ago

Mathematical calculations revealed that the dwarf planet Pluto moved inside the orbit of Neptune for the last time before 1979. This movement demonstrated the unique orbital characteristics of Pluto, which has an elliptical orbit that periodically crosses that of Neptune, allowing for deeper insights into celestial mechanics and planetary dynamics.

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