Pluto, the (dwarf) planet was discovered OTD on Feb 18, 1930 by 24-year old astronomer Clyde Tombaugh, after a year of systematic search for the object first suggested by Percival Lowell in 1902.
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Pluto, the (dwarf) planet was discovered OTD on Feb 18, 1930 by 24-year old astronomer Clyde Tombaugh, after a year of systematic search for the object first suggested by Percival Lowell in 1902.
Discovery was made using a Blink Comparator, purchased and modified by Lowell in 1911.
The Blink Comparator allows rapid switching between two similar images, allowing the human eye to detect movement of objects. Today, software does that.
https://lowell.edu/discover/history-of-pluto/
https://www.sightsize.com/the-blink-comparator/
1/n -
Pluto, the (dwarf) planet was discovered OTD on Feb 18, 1930 by 24-year old astronomer Clyde Tombaugh, after a year of systematic search for the object first suggested by Percival Lowell in 1902.
Discovery was made using a Blink Comparator, purchased and modified by Lowell in 1911.
The Blink Comparator allows rapid switching between two similar images, allowing the human eye to detect movement of objects. Today, software does that.
https://lowell.edu/discover/history-of-pluto/
https://www.sightsize.com/the-blink-comparator/
1/n@AkaSci The place I worked once in R&D used a two video camera based "blink" to compare large assembled PCBs with a known good one in the Production & Test area.
It is pretty effective. -
R relay@relay.an.exchange shared this topic
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Pluto, the (dwarf) planet was discovered OTD on Feb 18, 1930 by 24-year old astronomer Clyde Tombaugh, after a year of systematic search for the object first suggested by Percival Lowell in 1902.
Discovery was made using a Blink Comparator, purchased and modified by Lowell in 1911.
The Blink Comparator allows rapid switching between two similar images, allowing the human eye to detect movement of objects. Today, software does that.
https://lowell.edu/discover/history-of-pluto/
https://www.sightsize.com/the-blink-comparator/
1/nThis animated gif shows what Clyde Tombaugh saw through the Blink Comparator on February 18, 1930 and identified planet Pluto.
After further confirmatory photographs, news of the discovery was telegraphed to the Harvard College Observatory on March 13, 1930.
"March 13 was Percival Lowell’s 75th birthday, a fitting tribute to the man whose inspiration led to this discovery. Furthermore, William Herschel discovered Uranus on March 13, 1781."
Can you spot it?
https://www.sightsize.com/the-blink-comparator/
2/n -
This animated gif shows what Clyde Tombaugh saw through the Blink Comparator on February 18, 1930 and identified planet Pluto.
After further confirmatory photographs, news of the discovery was telegraphed to the Harvard College Observatory on March 13, 1930.
"March 13 was Percival Lowell’s 75th birthday, a fitting tribute to the man whose inspiration led to this discovery. Furthermore, William Herschel discovered Uranus on March 13, 1781."
Can you spot it?
https://www.sightsize.com/the-blink-comparator/
2/nThis is amazing; thanks!
It's important to remember how much of science is always an uphill climb against tedium and distraction.
Tombaugh, armed with a model that told him where to look, found 2 blinketty dots that meant he had a planet.
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This animated gif shows what Clyde Tombaugh saw through the Blink Comparator on February 18, 1930 and identified planet Pluto.
After further confirmatory photographs, news of the discovery was telegraphed to the Harvard College Observatory on March 13, 1930.
"March 13 was Percival Lowell’s 75th birthday, a fitting tribute to the man whose inspiration led to this discovery. Furthermore, William Herschel discovered Uranus on March 13, 1781."
Can you spot it?
https://www.sightsize.com/the-blink-comparator/
2/n@AkaSci
Was he comparing photo prints (white celestial bodies on black background) or the original negatives?
I would presume the latter, because printing all would be quite expensive. -
R relay@relay.infosec.exchange shared this topic
