2015, among other things, is the Year of Pluto. That makes it a good time to visit Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, which has planned a series of celebrations.
NASAβs New Horizon spacecraft is on the final leg of its journey to Pluto, and will make its closest approach on July 14. I am certain we will be astounded by what New Horizons finds.
Lowell astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto in 1930.
Lowell astronomers also collected the first evidence of the expanding universe, and measured the motions and properties of stars, according to its website. Located on Mars Hill just west of downtown Flagstaff, Lowell also has a superb visitors center that I recommend you enjoy whenever you are in Flagstaff.
I was most fortunate to meet and spend time with Tombaugh. He was not only a world famous astronomer but a wonderful, non-pretentious, witty gentleman ever ready to tell a joke.
He particularly loved jokes and puns about crows. In his memory, look south Thursday at 9 p.m. to see the 10-day-old moon. About 15 degrees southwest of the moon (to the right and toward the horizon) is Corvus the Crow. An ancient constellation, Corvus mainly consists of four bright stars that form a square with a squished top.
