“This year’s I Heart Pluto Festival surpassed last year’s in nearly every regard.”
The keynote Night of Discovery event at the Orpheum Theater featured Astronaut Nicole Stott and a space art display by the International Association of Astronomical Artists. Mayor Becky Daggett, Coconino County Supervisor Jeronimo Vasquez and members of Pluto discoverer Clyde Tombaugh’s family were among the nearly 300 attendees. In addition to a presentation by Stott, poet Christopher Fox Graham read two poems that he wrote about Pluto and Clyde Tombaugh.
Throughout the Festival, Lowell Observatory hosted special Pluto-themed programming, refreshment trucks, axe throwing by FlagTag AZ, and more. Compared to the last year’s festival, 29% more people visited and gift shop sales were up 24%, according to Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer Dr. Danielle Adams. “This year’s I Heart Pluto Festival surpassed last year’s in nearly every regard.”
Another signature event was the dedication of the Tombaugh Telescope at Lowell Observatory. The Tombaugh Telescope is a nine-inch instrument that Clyde Tombaugh hand-assembled in 1928 from scraps found around the family’s farm in Burdette, Kansas. The drawings that Tombaugh made with this telescope led to his being hired at Lowell Observatory; within a year, and using a larger instrument, Tombaugh discovered Pluto. Flagstaff Mayor Becky Daggett, proclaimed Feb. 18, 2023, as Tombaugh Telescope Day.
In-person and virtual science presentations included New Horizons Mission Principal Investigator Dr. Alan Stern, New Horizons Mission Operations Manager Alice Bowman, New Horizons Mission Surface Composition Team Leader Dr. Will Grundy and planetary scientist and co-discoverer of Pluto’s atmosphere Dr. Amanda Bosh.
UniSource Energy Services Gas was the lead sponsor. “Not only are we committed to providing safe, reliable energy service to Flagstaff, but we are dedicated to being great partners to this community, where we work and live,” Unisource Director Martin Anaya said, noting that Lowell Observatory is an important part of Flagstaff’s community and history.
Other sponsors included North Country HealthCare, Creative Flagstaff, APS, Arizona Central Credit Union and Dark Sky Brewing Company. “North Country HealthCare is honored to support an event that inspires the imagination and demonstrates the importance of perseverance,” said North Country HealthCare CEO Anne Newland. FBN
By Kevin Schindler, FBN
Photo by Kevin Schindler: At the dedication of the Tombaugh Telescope, Lowell Observatory Chief Operating Officer Dr. Amanda Bosh welcomed guests and touched on Lowell’s commitment to preserving its heritage.