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| Flagstaff, the town that discovered Pluto, toasts New Horizons triumph | Flagstaff, the town that discovered Pluto, toasts New Horizons triumph |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| As Nasa’s New Horizons mission made first contact with Earth with dazzling photos of the dwarf planet more than 3bn miles away, one small town in northern Arizona was abuzz like no other. | As Nasa’s New Horizons mission made first contact with Earth with dazzling photos of the dwarf planet more than 3bn miles away, one small town in northern Arizona was abuzz like no other. |
| Related: Pluto pictures: Nasa reveals first high-resolution images of planet's surface | Related: Pluto pictures: Nasa reveals first high-resolution images of planet's surface |
| Eighty-five years ago, Pluto was discovered by astronomer Clyde Tombaugh on a hilltop in Flagstaff at Lowell Observatory, where more than 1,000 residents gathered on Tuesday night in a large public palooza (ie wild party) to celebrate the mission and the town’s historic role in space discovery. | Eighty-five years ago, Pluto was discovered by astronomer Clyde Tombaugh on a hilltop in Flagstaff at Lowell Observatory, where more than 1,000 residents gathered on Tuesday night in a large public palooza (ie wild party) to celebrate the mission and the town’s historic role in space discovery. |
| “The seconds were ticking by,” said Gerard van Belle, an astronomer at Lowell, who attended the party and watched the live stream of Nasa TV projected for the crowd, which would soon deliver a signal that the spacecraft had made it. | “The seconds were ticking by,” said Gerard van Belle, an astronomer at Lowell, who attended the party and watched the live stream of Nasa TV projected for the crowd, which would soon deliver a signal that the spacecraft had made it. |
| “We had our champagne glasses, waiting to toast the spacecraft,” says Jeffrey Hall, director at Lowell Observatory. “We quieted down, and for two minutes, a real tension and sense of anticipation hung in the air.” | “We had our champagne glasses, waiting to toast the spacecraft,” says Jeffrey Hall, director at Lowell Observatory. “We quieted down, and for two minutes, a real tension and sense of anticipation hung in the air.” |
| When mission control received its first signal from the spacecraft live on Nasa TV, it “was total pandemonium. We had a toast and cheered,” van Belle said. | When mission control received its first signal from the spacecraft live on Nasa TV, it “was total pandemonium. We had a toast and cheered,” van Belle said. |
| It was a “spectacular” moment, Hall agrees. “We wanted visitors to understand what real exploration is like. It was a huge relief when the spacecraft checked in from 3bn miles away. People told me they were getting shivers. That was the experience we were going for. That is what discovery and exploration is about.” | It was a “spectacular” moment, Hall agrees. “We wanted visitors to understand what real exploration is like. It was a huge relief when the spacecraft checked in from 3bn miles away. People told me they were getting shivers. That was the experience we were going for. That is what discovery and exploration is about.” |
| When everyone started cheering at the party, one person attending the event missed an important personal phone call. | When everyone started cheering at the party, one person attending the event missed an important personal phone call. |
| It was William Grundy, calling from New Horizons mission control where he is working on the composition team, and he was trying to reach his wife, Bonny Sands. | It was William Grundy, calling from New Horizons mission control where he is working on the composition team, and he was trying to reach his wife, Bonny Sands. |
| “He called me during the party, but I didn’t hear my phone ring,” Sands said. She had to find a quiet place to call him back. “I ended up speaking to him at Lowell Observatory’s Pluto Dome,” the original structure that held the telescope used to discover Pluto in 1930. “It was a little surreal,” she added. | “He called me during the party, but I didn’t hear my phone ring,” Sands said. She had to find a quiet place to call him back. “I ended up speaking to him at Lowell Observatory’s Pluto Dome,” the original structure that held the telescope used to discover Pluto in 1930. “It was a little surreal,” she added. |
| Sands said she was thrilled to see all the astronomers’ eyes light up. “Everyone in the community is excited. People feel they have a personal connection to Pluto in Flagstaff. Even my mail carrier stopped to give me a hug. | Sands said she was thrilled to see all the astronomers’ eyes light up. “Everyone in the community is excited. People feel they have a personal connection to Pluto in Flagstaff. Even my mail carrier stopped to give me a hug. |
| “Pluto: could it be any more adorable?” Sands asked, referring to its heart-shaped surface texture revealed by the Nasa picture released on Monday. “It didn’t disappoint anyone at all.” | “Pluto: could it be any more adorable?” Sands asked, referring to its heart-shaped surface texture revealed by the Nasa picture released on Monday. “It didn’t disappoint anyone at all.” |
| Since Pluto’s discovery by Tombaugh in 1930, scientists have been pointing telescopes upwards trying to learn more about our very distant neighbor, the only planet – as it was considered then – discovered by an American. | Since Pluto’s discovery by Tombaugh in 1930, scientists have been pointing telescopes upwards trying to learn more about our very distant neighbor, the only planet – as it was considered then – discovered by an American. |
| Flagstaff was selected for astronomical research – thanks to its dark skies and clear, dry air – by astronomer Percival Lowell in his quest to find “Planet X”, which at the time was a hypothetical ninth planet in the solar system that many believed probably existed. His telescope photographed Pluto from Flagstaff in 1915, although it was not identified at the time. | Flagstaff was selected for astronomical research – thanks to its dark skies and clear, dry air – by astronomer Percival Lowell in his quest to find “Planet X”, which at the time was a hypothetical ninth planet in the solar system that many believed probably existed. His telescope photographed Pluto from Flagstaff in 1915, although it was not identified at the time. |
| It was observatory assistant Clyde Tombaugh who, when reviewing a set of glass photograph negatives made by the telescope on 18 February 1930, first recognized the object later named Pluto. | It was observatory assistant Clyde Tombaugh who, when reviewing a set of glass photograph negatives made by the telescope on 18 February 1930, first recognized the object later named Pluto. |
| “The thing about Pluto is that it is very hard to see from Earth because it is very faint and the stars clutter up the field,” Gerard says. Thus this data coming in from the New Horizons mission is a game-changer, say scientists, including Flagstaff-based astronomer Henry Roe. As the spacecraft was flung around Pluto at 30,000 mph on Tuesday, he and his team were looking up in the sky from the WM Keck Observatory in Hawaii. “I had people on both telescopes, running back and forth. It was hugely exciting.” He couldn’t help but tweet a photo from his computer. | “The thing about Pluto is that it is very hard to see from Earth because it is very faint and the stars clutter up the field,” Gerard says. Thus this data coming in from the New Horizons mission is a game-changer, say scientists, including Flagstaff-based astronomer Henry Roe. As the spacecraft was flung around Pluto at 30,000 mph on Tuesday, he and his team were looking up in the sky from the WM Keck Observatory in Hawaii. “I had people on both telescopes, running back and forth. It was hugely exciting.” He couldn’t help but tweet a photo from his computer. |
| Pluto!! pic.twitter.com/XqFm0ys2Aa | Pluto!! pic.twitter.com/XqFm0ys2Aa |
| “Before yesterday, we had a mental picture of Pluto’s surface,” Roe says, but with the new data, the surface of Pluto appears much more complex than originally thought. | “Before yesterday, we had a mental picture of Pluto’s surface,” Roe says, but with the new data, the surface of Pluto appears much more complex than originally thought. |
| “I am sure tears came to my eyes and my jaw dropped,” Roe said of the moment he first saw the New Horizons photos on his cellphone while travelling home to Flagstaff from Hawaii. | “I am sure tears came to my eyes and my jaw dropped,” Roe said of the moment he first saw the New Horizons photos on his cellphone while travelling home to Flagstaff from Hawaii. |
| Down the hill from the observatory at Northern Arizona University on Tuesday, students and researchers in the Physics and Astronomy Department were anxiously awaiting news from Nasa. | Down the hill from the observatory at Northern Arizona University on Tuesday, students and researchers in the Physics and Astronomy Department were anxiously awaiting news from Nasa. |
| “We are watching with curiosity and excitement,” said Stephen Tegler, professor and department chair. The department is home to Pluto research projects in support of the New Horizons mission, including studies of the atmosphere and ice conditions. | “We are watching with curiosity and excitement,” said Stephen Tegler, professor and department chair. The department is home to Pluto research projects in support of the New Horizons mission, including studies of the atmosphere and ice conditions. |
| “The anticipation is very high at this point to see what the [high resolution] images will look like. We talk a lot about it in the hallways. That is our partying,” Tegler says. “This is the planet discovered in Flagstaff, and you don’t get to see a planet for the first time very often.” | |
| Related: Who you calling a dwarf? Pluto flyby reopens debate about its 'planet' status | Related: Who you calling a dwarf? Pluto flyby reopens debate about its 'planet' status |
| The buzz about Pluto is unlikely to die down in the coming months in Flagstaff – nor will the debate about Pluto’s demotion to a “dwarf planet”, which caused local protests in 2006. | |
| Flagstaff will continue to host “Year of Pluto” events throughout 2015, marking the 85th anniversary of its discovery. | Flagstaff will continue to host “Year of Pluto” events throughout 2015, marking the 85th anniversary of its discovery. |
| The longest-running science festival in the country, the Flagstaff Festival of Science, will host New Horizons mission principal investigator Alan Stern, who will give the opening keynote address in September. | The longest-running science festival in the country, the Flagstaff Festival of Science, will host New Horizons mission principal investigator Alan Stern, who will give the opening keynote address in September. |
| Stern travelled to Flagstaff earlier this year to kick off the Year of Pluto events. When he returns to the town in a few months, Pluto will be more than just a dot. | |
| As images of the planet slowly make their way across billions of miles to Earth, scientists know the incoming data will provide years’ worth of research material. Roe says: “There is an enormous amount of work to do to put together the next set of stories of what we are seeing on Pluto.” | As images of the planet slowly make their way across billions of miles to Earth, scientists know the incoming data will provide years’ worth of research material. Roe says: “There is an enormous amount of work to do to put together the next set of stories of what we are seeing on Pluto.” |
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