Pluto’s Defenders
I recently visited Flagstaff and other parts of Northern Arizona (as well as Utah) while on vacation and I enjoyed the opportunity to gaze upon night skies unblighted by light pollution. While I am a big fan of humanity’s victory over darkness, there are drawbacks to that technological triumph. One is that the artificial light of our cities and towns can obscure our view of the night sky and make some of the nighttime, natural splendor difficult or even impossible to see. If you have never experienced the awe-inspiring beauty and grandeur of seeing our Milky Way galaxy in the night sky with the naked eye, I would argue that you are missing out on a truly breathtaking experience.
In addition, to enjoying a stargazing train ride on the Verde Canyon Railroad out of Clarkdale, Arizona (https://verdecanyonrr.com/saturday-starlight-adventures/), I visited the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff (https://lowell.edu). Regrettably, the weather did not cooperate during my last night in Flagstaff and the rain and clouds prevented me from glimpsing the heavens through the Lowell Observatory’s telescopes and enjoying its open-air amphitheater with heated seats (I consoled myself afterwards with a delicious Double-Double cheeseburger from In-N-Out Burger). However, I did get to enjoy a film and a couple of indoor planetarium shows. As I hope this won’t be my last and only visit to Flagstaff, I look forward to enjoying those experiences in the future, God willing and weather permitting.
While I knew before my visit that Pluto had been dropped from the planet club earlier in the 2000s, I wasn’t aware that it had been discovered by one of Lowell Observatory’s astronomers, Clyde Tombaugh. I also wasn’t aware that, in the aftermath of Pluto being downgraded from planet status, Arizona had recognized Pluto as its official planet. That’s pretty cool!
Below I have included a link to a post on the Discover Flagstaff blog regarding Arizona’s defense of Pluto. It details the story behind the Lowell Observatory and the discovery of Pluto, Flagstaff’s and Arizona’s contribution to space exploration, the science behind the decision to downgrade Pluto, and why Arizona made Pluto one of the state’s symbols. Enjoy!
“PLUTO IS THE OFFICIAL STATE PLANET OF ARIZONA”
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