Overview

An adventure in scientific discovery Pluto, the farthermost planet in the solar system, some 3,673 million mites from the Sun, was discovered by Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory in 1930. The fiftieth anniversary of Pluto's discovery will be celebrated in 1980 and OUT OF THE DARKNESS: THE PLANET PLUTO tells the exciting scientific story of the twenty-five year search for a planet X beyond Neptune, and its discovery-the only planet found in the twentieth century. The planets Mercury, Venus. Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn were all known since antiquity. Then Sir William Herschel discovered Uranus in 1781, and 65 years later, in 1846, Johann Calle and Urbain le Verner discovered Neptune. Variations in orbital perturbations of the planets and theoretical astronomy were responsible for predicting and discovering the three outermost planets (Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto) and so Pluto's story is also, to some extent, the story of its planetary neighbors. What kind of world is Pluto? Much is still a mystery (its

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Destined to become the standard reference on the discovery of Pluto. -Library Journal--Library Journal A delightfully personal story of astronomical discovery, and a real 'first.' Clyde Tombaugh...is the sole planet discoverer of this century, and his story, as down-home American as a Norman Rockwell painting, will have great appeal to astronomy buffs, amateurs and students... Tombaugh's odyssey scores both as science and as drama. - Publishers Weekly--Publishers Weekly

A delightfully personal story of astronomical discovery, and a real 'first.' Clyde Tombaugh...is the sole planet discoverer of this century, and his story, as down-home American as a Norman Rockwell painting, will have great appeal to astronomy buffs, amateurs and students... Tombaugh's odyssey scores both as science and as drama. - Publishers Weekly--Publishers Weekly Destined to become the standard reference on the discovery of Pluto. -Library Journal--Library Journal

Author Information

Clyde W. Tombaugh discovered Pluto in February 1930 at Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, Arizona, and holds the distinction of being the only man alive, and the only man in the twentieth century to have discovered a planet. Mr. Tombaugh has written many maga Patrick Moore is an author-astronomer with over sixty titles to his credit. Recent books include The Next Fifty Years in Space, The New Concise Atlas of the Universe, and Guide to Mars. Mr. Moore was director of the Armaugh Planetarium in Ireland from 196

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