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Astronomers
Edmund
Halley
Edmund Halley
(1656 - 1742) was an English astronomer and
physicist who is best known for his prediction of the date
of return of the comet which would later become known as
Halley's Comet. He is also known for his catalog of
the stars of the Southern Hemisphere.
In 1705 Halley stated that comet
sightings in 1456, 1531, 1607, and
1682 were sightings of the same comet. His
observations enabled him to successfully calculate the orbit
this comet. He predicted that it would return in 1758.
It did return and the comet was named Halley's Comet in his
honor.
Halley also helped Isaac
Newton publish one of the most imported books ever
published,
Philosophiae Naturalis
Principia Mathematica.
