iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Replies

Robert "The Bobby Yaga" McNees @mcnees.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

Clyde Tombaugh's discovery of Pluto was announced #OTD in 1930. Here it is dashing across his photographic plates, next to an image taken just after closest approach by NASA's New Horizons mission in July 2015. 🧪 🔭 🚀 Images: Lowell Observatory/National Geographic (July 1939); NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI

Two photos from Lowell Observatory showing a fields of white stars on a black background. A pair of arrows in each photo shows a small dot that has changed position – Pluto. The caption underneath reads

HOW PLUTO WAS FOUND WHITE DOT MOVES AMONG THE STARS
The ninth and most distant planet was discovered by comparing these two photographs of the same section of the sky taken six nights apart, on January 23, 1930 (right) and January 29 (left). Arrows point to the dot that represents Pluto.
The movement indicates that the object was relatively nearer the Earth, and therefore must be a planet. The other white dots are stars, and show no movement between pictures because they are so far away (page 16).

A black and white image of Pluto taken by the New Horizons probe. The photo is about 2.5 times as wide as it is tall, and is spanned by the illuminated curve of the planet. Mountains and other features are visible as the surface.

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Paroxeteen @paroxiteen.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

Did Pluto get #MeToo'd or did it get canceled because of something it said?

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Rather Odd Pursuits 🦆 @ratherodd.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

Guess I'm wearing my "When I was your age Pluto was a planet" shirt I bought at Lowell.

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John Dalton - brain marinated in woke sauce. They/them @johndaledalton.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

I feel very sad that Pluto was demoted.

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Robert "The Bobby Yaga" McNees @mcnees.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

Here’s a gif version of the blink comparator used by Tombaugh to spot Pluto. (2/n) Images: Lowell Observator Gif: Tom Ruen

A gif that alternates between two black and white exposures of the patch of sky where Pluto was found. Both plates show the same set of stars, fixed in their positions on the plate, except for one dim white dot that moves from left to right between the frames. An arrow highlights its position. A second arrow, possibly pointing to an asteroid, tracks something moving near the bottom of the plates.

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Ted Dunning @bsky.tdunning.com · 14/03/2025

My discovery of Clyde Tombaugh was in the late 80's when I worked at NMSU where he was a professor forever. He was a hoot! He was in his 80's and not in the greatest health, but was always in the best of humor (puns to do with crows were a specialty) and always had something new and interesting.

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