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Whose Calculation Predicted the Return of a Comet?
astronomyscience
Quick Answer
Edmond Halley predicted that the comet of 1682 would return in 1758, and it did.
The Full Story
English astronomer Edmond Halley used Newton's laws of gravity to calculate that the comet observed in 1682 was the same one seen in 1531 and 1607, and predicted it would return around 1758. The comet appeared on Christmas Day 1758, 16 years after Halley's death, brilliantly confirming both his prediction and Newtonian mechanics. The comet was named Halley's Comet in his honour. It returns roughly every 75–79 years; its most recent appearance was in 1986, and it will next be visible from Earth around 2061.
Key Facts
1.Halley's Comet has been observed and recorded since at least 240 BC.
2.The Bayeux Tapestry depicts the comet's appearance in 1066, before the Norman Conquest.
3.Mark Twain was born and died during Halley's Comet appearances (1835 and 1910).
YouTube Angle
Suggested video title for this topic:
"Halley's Comet — The Prediction That Proved Newton Right"