Percival Lowell

Percival Lowell

Percival Lawrence Lowell (March 13, 1855 – November 12, 1916) was an American businessman, author, mathematician, and astronomer who fueled speculation that there were canals on Mars, founded the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, and formed the beginning of the effort that led to the discovery of Pluto 14 years after his death. The choice of the name Pluto and its symbol were partly influenced by his initials PL.

Read more about Percival Lowell:  Biography, Astronomy Career, Legacy

Famous quotes containing the word lowell:

    “Flabby, bald, lobotomized,
    he drifted in a sheepish calm,
    where no agonizing reappraisal
    jarred his concentration of the electric chair—
    hanging like an oasis in his air
    of lost connections. . . .”
    —Robert Lowell (1917–1977)