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Well as you know I am always meeting up with many famous people at Sir Patrick Moore's home at Farthings in West Sussex.

In 1930 Cyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto. In 1930 a young oxford schoolgirl aged just 11 years named, the then, new ninth planet as Pluto.
Her name was Venetia Phair (nee Burney) now is the grand age of 88 years (2006).

Pluto, the Roman god of the underworld, turned out to be a perfectly good title for the enigmatic object. The US space agency loved it as the first two letters "PL" fitted nicely to the famous planetary observer Percival Lovell. It was seized upon at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona where Clyde Tombaugh an american astronomer discovered it.

I have just taken a very small slot in television filming with her at Sir Patrick Moore's observatory that houses his fine 15 inch reflector.
I was filmed and proud to have accompanied her arm linked to the 15 inch observatory after dark chatting away, and then briefly at the eyepiece
of the telescope prior to her main interview and joint chat with amateur astronomer, and very good astrophotographer Peter Lawrence of Selsey.
She was an amazing lady to listen to throughout talking about Pluto her family and the years of enjoyement she had with all the involvment the planet.
I am not sure when it will be on TV, or which channel but I add data if I receive it in time.

Venetia Phair at Sir Patrick Moore's Observatory in Selsey, West Sussex, England.

photographs by John R Fletcher.