Clyde Tombaugh Clyde Tombaugh was a major contributor in the field of astronomy. Born in Streator, Illinois, on February 4, 1906, His family moved to Burdett, Kansas in 1922. A hail storm ruined the farm’s crops, while also ruining Tombaugh’s chances of going to college at young age. His interest in astronomy started when an uncle showed him the night sky through a telescopes. He built telescopes by himself starting in 1926, after he graduated from high school. He built his first telescope when he was only 20, using mirrors, lenses, and parts of an old Buick car. He used instructions from a 1925 issue of Popular Astronomy. Through the telescope he made observations of Jupiter and Mars. He sent his drawn renditions of Jupiter and Mars to the Lowell Observatory, hoping to get feedback from professional astronomers. Instead, they offered him a job. This was before he even earned his bachelor’s and master’s degree. Tombaugh worked there from 1929 to 1945. During his time at the observatory, Tombaugh discovered many asteroids, starting with 2839 Annette in 1929. Other famous finds include 4755 Nicky and 3310 …show more content…
He also designed technology for military during his time there. One famous example is IGOR, the Intercept Ground Optical Recorder, a super camera used in the White Sands Missile Range for 30 years. In 1955 he taught astronomy at New Mexico State University until his retirement from teaching in 1973. Tombaugh was one of the most prominent astronomers to have reported seeing unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and support the idea of extraterrestrial life. One sighting took place in New Mexico in 1948. Tombaugh described three “green fireballs” flying in the night sky. Another sighting took place on August 20, 1949. Tombaugh saw several unidentified objects near Las Cruces, New Mexico. He described them as six to eight rectangular