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Was Clyde Tombaugh a professional or amateur astronomer when he discovered Pluto?
Amateur
Professional
He was a student
Unknown
Answer
Pluto was discovered in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh, an amateur astronomer working at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. Tombaugh was hired specifically for this task by the observatory's director, Percival Lowell, who had predicted the existence of a "Planet X" beyond Neptune based on irregularities in Uranus's orbit.
Stellar Sleuth: Unraveling the Legacy of Clyde Tombaugh!
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