Tombaugh Cliffs
Tombaugh Cliffs (71°5′S 68°18′W / 71.083°S 68.300°WCoordinates: 71°5′S 68°18′W / 71.083°S 68.300°W) is a group of ice-free cliffs which stand at the north side of the mouth of Pluto Glacier and face towards the George VI Ice Shelf which occupies George VI Sound, on the east side of Alexander Island, Antarctica. Photographed from the air by the Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition in 1947–48; surveyed by Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey from 1948 to 1950. The naming by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee continues the astronomy related or celestial theme displayed in the toponymy of this area. Clyde Tombaugh (1906-1997), American astronomer who studied at Lowell Observatory, who first discovered the planet Pluto in 1930.
References
- This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Geological Survey document "Tombaugh Cliffs" (content from the Geographic Names Information System).