Constellations

During the 1890s, Percival Lowell, a wealthy businessman and mathematician, moved to Flagstaff for the clear skies, and although the lights are bright today, we, too, loved the night sky.  Years have passed, but Lowell’s observatory was on our must see list.

Around the year of 1930, fifteen years after Lowell’s death, Clyde Tombaugh was hired at the Lowell Observatory to help analyze photographs, noticing minute differences, specifically movement in the sky, from one photograph to the next, in order to find Lowell’s hypothesized Planet X.  After a year, Tombaugh discovered the location of Pluto, near the location of Planet X.

The Lowell Observatory showered us with mini-adventures and lessons during our two hour stay.  From 8:00-10:00 pm, we looked through four or five telescopes, observing Jupiter, its rings and four moons, Vega, the brightest star, and a multi-million star cluster, one which name has escaped me.  Henry’s favorite experience was a tour by a enthusiastic volunteer, sharing his knowledge of Greek mythology and constellations.  Anything for a story, Henry insisted on following this group of young adults, weaving stories of drama and time.

Once in Flagstaff, we launched a week of family fun, and also drew connections to Henry’s heritage, driving by his great grandparent’s house, visiting the museum which has record of their working days, and reminiscing the stories of Percival Lowell and his great grandfather playing Bridge together.