On Feb. 15, 2025, Lowell Observatory and the Orpheum Theater will present A Night of Discovery, commemorating the 95th anniversary of Clyde Tombaugh’s discovery of Pluto and the 10th anniversary of the New Horizons mission to explore this icy world. This is the keynote event of the 6th annual I Heart Pluto Festival, with the theme “To Boldly go Beyond New Horizons.”
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| Adam Nimoy, left, sporting “Spock ears” with his father, Leonard Nimoy. Photo by Adam Nimoy |
The evening will feature an exclusive conversation with distinguished guests Adam Nimoy, a television director and son of the late actor Leonard Nimoy.
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| Adam Nimoy |
Dr. Alan Stern (Principal Investigator of the New Horizons Mission to Pluto),
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| Sol Alan Stern is an American engineer, planetary scientist and space tourist. He is the principal investigator of the New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Chief Scientist at Moon Express |
and comet-hunting legend David Levy. David Eicher, Editor-in-Chief of Astronomy magazine, will moderate this discussion on how scientific exploration inspires humanity.
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| David Howard Levy, a Canadian amateur astronomer, science writer and discoverer of comets and minor planets, who co-discovered Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 in 1993. |
Nimoy’s father starred in the iconic Star Trek television show, Stern led the New Horizons mission that revolutionized our understanding of Pluto, and Levy co-discovered — with legendary Flagstaff scientists Gene and Carolyn Shoemaker — Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, which collided with Jupiter in 1994. Each of these events captured the imagination of people around the world and spurred widespread curiosity about space and its exploration.
Following this discussion, Adam Nimoy will sign copies of his new book, "The Most Human: Reconciling with My Father, Leonard Nimoy" and the entire panel will also sign event posters. Books and posters will be available for purchase at the Orpheum throughout the evening.
Lowell Observatory Executive Director Dr. Amanda Bosh says, “We are pleased to join the Flagstaff community in celebrating our Pluto heritage and this esteemed group of presenters will inspire our imaginations to boldly go beyond our little corner of the solar system.”
Additional presentations and events during A Night of Discovery include:
Arizona State Rep. Justin Wilmeth will discuss the bill he introduced that declared Pluto as Arizona’s official state planet in 2024.
- Christopher Fox Graham, longtime editor of the Sedona Red Rock News and a noted slam poet, will read two poems he wrote honoring Pluto and Leonard Nimoy
- Lowell Observatory Historian Kevin Schindler will recount the story of Clyde Tombaugh’s discovery of Pluto on February 18, 1930, and how he ended up at the Orpheum on that momentous evening
- Flagstaff Mayor Becky Daggett and Coconino County Supervisor Patrice Horstman will read proclamations celebrating this year’s I Heart Pluto Festival
- FlagTagAZ will set up their popular axe-throwing cage just outside the Orpheum
- Lowell Observatory’s Starry Skies Shop will offer Pluto-themed merchandise for sale
- A Pluto-themed beer, created especially for this year’s I Heart Pluto Festival by Mother Road Brewing Company, will be available. Additional beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, as well as food will also be available for purchase throughout the evening
Doors open to the public at 6pm, with programs commencing at 7pm.
General admission tickets, as well as a VIP option that provides access to a private reception at 5pm with the presenters prior to the main program, are available at
wl.seetickets.us/event/i-heart-pluto-a-night-of-discovery/629870?afflky=OrpheumTheater
Background of the I Heart Pluto Festival
Flagstaff is often referred to as the “Home of Pluto” due to its significant contributions to research of this icy world. These efforts include Percival Lowell’s early searches for a ninth planet, “Planet X”; Clyde Tombaugh’s discovery of Pluto on February 18, 1930; Jim Christy’s detection of Pluto’s largest moon, Charon, in 1978; the first observation of Pluto’s atmosphere in 1988; early maps of Pluto’s surface; the New Horizons flyby of the Pluto system in 2015, and more.
To celebrate this rich heritage, Lowell Observatory inaugurated the I Heart Pluto Festival in 2020. This community event is held annually on or near February 18.
About Lowell Observatory
Founded in 1894, Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, is a prestigious nonprofit research institution renowned for its historic and groundbreaking discoveries, including the first evidence of the expanding universe and the discovery of Pluto. Today, Lowell's astronomers utilize global ground-based and space telescopes, along with NASA spacecraft, for diverse astronomical and planetary science research. The observatory hosts more than 100,000 visitors annually for educational tours, presentations, and telescope viewing through a suite of world-class public telescopes.
