How were Neptune and Pluto discovered?

Answer 1

Pluto was discovered on February 13, 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh. Clyde was only 24 years old when he made this discovery. The discovery was made at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona while looking for a trans-Neptunian planet (planet x).

Answer 2

Calculations of the orbit of the planet Neptune caused astronomers to conclude that some heavy body was disturbing Neptune's orbit. Astronomers began searching areas of the sky that might contain an undiscovered planet, and discovered Uranus.

However, the math for both Neptune and Uranus indicated that still ANOTHER massive planet must be out there, and in 1930, Clyde Tombaugh

Pluto has turned out to be far less massive than expected, but recent recalculations have indicated that the original calculations of Neptune and Uranus' orbits were in error, and that no further massive planets could be expected. The discovery of Pluto turns out to have been a fortunate accident.

However, the discovery of additional bodies larger than Pluto and far outside its orbit prompted the International Astronomical Union (IAU) to reconsider the definition of what constitutes a "planet", and Pluto has now been demoted to "dwarf planet" status. At least four other similar objects have been detected beyond the orbit of Neptune.

Answer 3

A device called a "blink comparator". Photographs are taken of the same exact part of the night sky at three-day intervals. The photos are of an area of the sky where the searched-for object

is suspected to be. A "control" picture is loaded into one side of comparator, and one at a time, each newer picture is loaded in the other. Both eyes are looking through the binocular-like eyepieces. Then the comparator switches rapidly back and forth between the pictures. If they are identical, the eyes are not even aware of this switching. If something is different on one of the pictures, the eyes will see that one thing jumping up and down, or back and forth. That is the searched-for object, because is is moving much faster than the other "stars" in the picture (the positions of stars appear the same for centuries at a time). The tiny star-like dot jumping up and down in the picture Clyde Tombaugh was looking at was Pluto.

Answer 4

I suppose you could say the discovery of Uranus, followed some decades later by the discovery of Neptune. For the longest time, it was just assumed that Saturn was the end of the line as far as planets. The new paradigm, that there were more worlds out there sent people looking for "planet X."

Perceival Lowell sort of predicted the existence of a planet beyond Neptune and in 1930 Clyde Tombaugh spotted something that he thought fit the bill, naming it both for his mentor (PLuto, for P. Lowell) and keeping up the established Greek Gods theme.

Unfortunately, "Pluto" turned out to be a collection of asteroid-like objects from the Kuiper Belt, which, thanks to some fuzzy photographs had looked a lot bigger than it actually was. In addition, its orbit is not like the orbits of the other members of the Solar System and it was recently "demoted" to the status of "dwarf planet," a category thought up specially for it, though it now includes a few other members.

Answer 5

NASA did not discover Pluto. Pluto was discovered in 1930. NASA formed in July 29, 1958, nearly 30 years later.

Answer 6

Clyde Tombaugh discover Pluto in 1930

Answer 7

By space crafts. Not a telecope