Edmond Halley Successfully Predicts the Return of the Great Comet of 1682
Overview
On Christmas night, 1758, a comet appeared in the skies over Europe. First seen by German amateur astronomer Johann Georg Palitzsch, its appearance was a landmark event in the history of both astronomy and physics. For the first time, using Isaac Newton's (1642-1727) laws of gravitation and motion, a comet's appearance had been successfully predicted. By so doing, Edmond Halley (1656-1742) had not onlylaunched a new era in predictive astronomy, but had also proven the accuracy and value of Newton's revolutionary new physics.
Background
For millennia, comets were viewed as harbingers of change, both good and bad. A comet appeared when Julius Caesar was murdered; another comet was said to have marked the death of Alexander the Great. Throughout history, comets were seen as messengers, portents, or omens.
During these same millennia, arguments raged over where comets were located. Some, including the Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 B.C.), felt that comets were part of the Earth's atmosphere while others thought they existed in the realm of the planets. This debate was finally settled in the sixteenth century, when Ptolemy (c. 100-170 A.D.) proved that comets were at least as distant as the moon, proving that they must lie beyond the atmosphere.
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