Changes

| parents      = Muron and Adelle Tombaugh

| parents      = Muron and Adelle Tombaugh

| religion    = Christianity

| religion    = Christianity

| spouse      = Patricia (1912-1997)

| spouse      = Patricia (1912-2012)

| children    = Annette and Alden

| children    = Annette and Alden

| death        = January 17, 1997 at Las Cruces, [[New Mexico]], USA

| death        = January 17, 1997 at Las Cruces, [[New Mexico]], USA

== Early life and self-education ==

== Early life and self-education ==

Clyde Tombaugh was born 4 February 1906 in Streator, Illinois, the son of Muron and Adelle Tombaugh. His family moved to Burdett, [[Kansas]] in 1922. There a [[hail|hailstorm]] destroyed his family's farm crops, so that the family could not afford to send him to college.

Clyde Tombaugh was born 4 February 1906 in Streator, Illinois, the son of Muron and Adelle Tombaugh. His family moved to Burdett, [[Kansas]] in 1922. There a [[hail]]storm destroyed his family's farm crops, so that the family could not afford to send him to college.

Undaunted, he built his own telescope in 1926. (Apparently he built it out of a kit from the [[Sears]] catalog.) The results did not satisfy him. So he self-educated in the science of [[optics]], and built two more telescopes. He ground his own lenses and mirrors to build these. He drew the [[Solar System]] (as it was then known) from his observations, and sent his drawings to the [[Lowell Observatory]] in [[Arizona]] on or about 1928. The drawings impressed the directors, who invited him to join its staff.

Undaunted, he built his own telescope in 1926. (Apparently he built it out of a kit from the [[Sears]] catalog.) The results did not satisfy him. So he self-educated in the science of [[optics]], and built two more telescopes. He ground his own lenses and mirrors to build these. He drew the [[Solar System]] (as it was then known) from his observations, and sent his drawings to the [[Lowell Observatory]] in [[Arizona]] on or about 1928. The drawings impressed the directors, who invited him to join its staff.

When the war ended, Lowell could not re-hire him. So he "re-upped" and joined the unit at the White Sands Missile Range at Las Cruces, New Mexico. There, among other achievements, he designed the IGOR (Intercept Ground Optical Recorder). This instrument (essentially a highly developed camera) remained in service at White Sands for 30 years before improvements became available.

When the war ended, Lowell could not re-hire him. So he "re-upped" and joined the unit at the White Sands Missile Range at Las Cruces, New Mexico. There, among other achievements, he designed the IGOR (Intercept Ground Optical Recorder). This instrument (essentially a highly developed camera) remained in service at White Sands for 30 years before improvements became available.

Tombaugh left White Sands in 1955. He joined the faculty at New Mexico State College at Las Cruces. During that time he would have an eager young student named [[Walt Brown|Walter T. Brown, Jr.]], who now runs the [http://creationscience.com/onlinebook/ Center for Scientific Creation] in [[Phoenix]], Arizona. Brown says of his late mentor:

Tombaugh left White Sands in 1955. He joined the faculty at New Mexico State College at Las Cruces. During that time he would have an eager young student named [[Walt Brown|Walter T. Brown, Jr.]], who now runs the [http://creationscience.com/onlinebook/ Center for Scientific Creation] in [[Phoenix]], Arizona. Brown says of his late mentor:{{cquote|Going to his backyard to use his 9-inch handmade telescope was memorable. Professor Tombaugh was a warm, unpretentious man with the biggest smile you have ever seen. However, in class, he sometimes became irate [with] astronomers who made pronouncements but never touched a telescope.}}

 

{{cquote|Going to his backyard to use his 9-inch handmade telescope was memorable. Professor Tombaugh was a warm, unpretentious man with the biggest smile you have ever seen. However, in class, he sometimes became irate [with] astronomers who made pronouncements but never touched a telescope.}}

In 1973, at the age of 67, he retired. Professor Emeritus Tombaugh traveled the country to raise money for the institution he had served the longest of all his employers.

In 1973, at the age of 67, he retired. Professor Emeritus Tombaugh traveled the country to raise money for the institution he had served the longest of all his employers.

In 1964, Clyde Tombaugh shared this story with his class on planetology (which Walter T. Brown attended): he proposed to [[NASA]] that they send him on a one-way mission to Mars. He did not propose to soft-land. He was prepared to ''crash-land,'' though it meant certain death, and report his impressions as he descended. Aghast NASA officials rejected his proposal. Brown guesses that NASA would never have wanted the bad publicity from sending a living human [[astronaut]] on a suicide mission. Tombaugh made no secret of his irritation with NASA for that refusal.<ref name=Brown>Hurlbut TA, correspondence with Walter T. Brown, Jr., 10 August 2015.</ref>

In 1964, Clyde Tombaugh shared this story with his class on planetology (which Walter T. Brown attended): he proposed to [[NASA]] that they send him on a one-way mission to Mars. He did not propose to soft-land. He was prepared to ''crash-land,'' though it meant certain death, and report his impressions as he descended. Aghast NASA officials rejected his proposal. Brown guesses that NASA would never have wanted the bad publicity from sending a living human [[astronaut]] on a suicide mission. Tombaugh made no secret of his irritation with NASA for that refusal.<ref name=Brown>Hurlbut TA, correspondence with Walter T. Brown, Jr., 10 August 2015.</ref>

But NASA, the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, and the Southwest Research Institute did, finally, oblige Tombaugh, though posthumously. They collected one U.S. Customary [[ounce]] of his ashes, sealed them in a canister, and installed this on the upper deck of the New Horizons probe. Alan Stern, the lead investigator, inscribed it thus:{{cquote|Interned herein are remains of American Clyde W. Tombaugh, discoverer of Pluto and the solar system's "third zone." Adelle and Muron's boy, Patricia's husband, Annette and Alden's father, astronomer, teacher, punster, and friend: Clyde W. Tombaugh (1906-1997).<ref name=CNN>Mullen J, "[http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/13/us/nasa-pluto-new-horizons-clyde-tombaugh-ashes/ Pluto discoverer's ashes are aboard New Horizons probe]," [[Cable News Network]]. Published 14 July 2015. Retrieved 5 August 2015.</ref>}}

But NASA, the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, and the Southwest Research Institute did, finally, oblige Tombaugh, though posthumously. They collected one U.S. Customary [[ounce]] of his ashes, sealed them in a canister, and installed this on the upper deck of the New Horizons probe. Alan Stern, the lead investigator, inscribed it thus:{{cquote|Interred herein are remains of American Clyde W. Tombaugh, discoverer of Pluto and the solar system's "third zone." Adelle and Muron's boy, Patricia's husband, Annette and Alden's father, astronomer, teacher, punster, and friend: Clyde W. Tombaugh (1906-1997).<ref name=CNN>Mullen J, "[https://www.cnn.com/2015/07/13/us/nasa-pluto-new-horizons-clyde-tombaugh-ashes/ Pluto discoverer's ashes are aboard New Horizons probe]," [[Cable News Network]]. Published 14 July 2015. Retrieved 5 August 2015.</ref>}}

== Enduring legacy ==

== Enduring legacy ==

{{reflist}}

{{reflist}}

== External link ==

== External links ==

[http://www.rtmcastronomyexpo.org/archives/Tombaugh.htm Clyde Tombaugh Award winners]

* [http://www.rtmcastronomyexpo.org/archives/Tombaugh.htm Clyde Tombaugh Award winners]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tombaugh, Clyde William}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tombaugh, Clyde William}}

[[Category:Biographies]]

[[Category:American People]]

[[Category:Astronomers]]

[[Category:Astronomers]]