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Needle in a Haystack: How Clyde W. Tombaugh Found an Awesome New World | LitPick Book Reviews
Needle in a Haystack: How Clyde W. Tombaugh Found an Awesome New World
Needle in a Haystack: How Clyde W. Tombaugh Found an Awesome New World

Farm boy and self-taught astronomer Clyde W. Tombaugh trained his homemade telescope on the planets almost every night. He drew the surfaces of Mars and Jupiter and shared his drawings with Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. Gadzooks! They hired him to search for a new planet! After 300 days of scouring the sky with a powerful telescope that could take photos, Clyde pinpointed Pluto’s location on February 18, 1930. His tenacity paid off— he found the last planet in the solar system. This 1280-word biography of Clyde W. Tombaugh is a confirmation of the twin pillars of success—passion and persistence. 


Arizonans are celebrating that Pluto has been named the State Planet by the state legislature.

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Book Details

Genre: 

  • Science

Age Level: 

  • 8 - 12
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Ever since he was young, Clyde had a big interest in space. His father and uncle had taught him everything they knew about astronomy. Clyde's family owned a farm, but his dream for when he was older was to become an astronomer. Using instructions from a science machine and parts from farm machinery, Clyde built a better telescope than the ones available at the time. Eventually, Clyde got a job at Lowell Observatory as an amateur astronomer. There, Clyde helped with cleaning and was able to observe the sky during his extra time. Eventually, he thought that he had discovered a new planet!
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