Surely sometime in your life you have heard or been lucky enough to see the Halley comet. Today we are going to talk about its discoverer, Edmund halley. He is an important English scientist who is well known around the world and he is the one who predicted the orbit of the comet that received his name in his honor. Although he is a scientist, he has always been remembered more as an astronomer. However, his life was not limited to astronomy, but made important discoveries in the fields of mathematics, meteorology, physics and geophysics.
For all these reasons, we are going to dedicate the article to Edmund Halley and his biography.
Who was Edmund Halley?
This scientist was a great contributor to Isaac Newton in the work carried out on the gravitational attraction of bodies. He was the first scientist who could predict that comets would return from time to time close to Earth because these comets also had a certain orbit.
He was born on November 8, 1656 in London and died on January 14, 1742, also in London. Born in Hagges and a descendant of the Derbyshire family, Edmund Halley began his education at Saun Paul School in London. His family was a wealthy group of people who made soap. The use of soap at that time was spreading throughout Europe, so it was great for him to earn more.
His father suffered a great loss during the Great Fire of London. This fire occurred when Halley was still young. Despite this, his father was able to provide his son with a good education. Thanks to this education, Edmund Halley received private lessons in his own home. Not only was he fortunate to be born into a wealthy family, but he also took part in a period of scientific revolution. This revolution laid the foundations for modern thought.
The monarchy at that time was restored by Carlos II and they had been 4 years. Several years later, the monarch awarded a charter to the informal organization of natural philosophers called "Invisible University." It is this organization that later developed and was renamed the Royal Society of London.
After a few years, in 1673, Halley entered Queen's College at Oxford. It is there that he was appointed Astronomer Royal in 1676. He began to be encouraged to know more about astronomy and began to study and train on it. Years later, in 1696, Edmund Halley was appointed as controller of the Chester mint. He supported Newton with many of his works. Finally, he was appointed astronomer royal in 1720 and director of the Greenwich Observatory, where he worked for 21 years.
Contributions to science
We are going to talk now about the contributions he had in science and the reasons why he has become so famous.
- The first occurred in the year 1682, when he was able to predict the orbit of the comet that today is named in his honor, Halley's Comet. He not only predicted the orbit for the first time, but he also announced in 1758 that he would return, since comets also follow an orbit. In this way, he defended in his theory that there are comets with their own elliptical trajectories and that they are associated with our Solar system.
- Another contribution was to join with Newton to give an explanation about the mechanics of planetary motion.
- In 1691, he assisted in the construction of a diving bell that he was able to test in the River Thames. Thanks to this diving bell, Halley could have been submerged for over an hour and a half.
- He produced several works, such as "Synopsis astronomiae cometicae," in which he explained the laws of motion he had developed with Newton regarding comets. You can learn more about these celestial bodies in this article on what is a comet.
- Not only did he discover the path of Halley's Comet, but he also described 24 other parabolic paths that had been observed up to the year 1698.
- He was able to show that 3 historical comets sighted in 1531, 1607 and 1682 were similar in their characteristics to those seen in 1305, 1380 and 1456. This may imply that they were the same comets, but that they were returning from their elliptical path.
- He predicted that Halley's Comet would pass close to Earth again in 1758.
- Other important contributions to astronomy included demonstrating that stars had some motion and that each of them enjoyed the same motion. He conducted studies of the complete revolution of the moon and created astronomical tables, which are essential for understanding the progress of the .
Edmund Halley Legacy
When there is a scientist with great contributions in science and so many discoveries, he leaves a legacy. That legacy is Halley's Comet itself. His name will always remain in the minds of all the people who have been closely associated with the comet and whose return he was able to predict with complete precision. Many of his contemporaries and the generation of scientists that followed him held him in high regard for his high achievements.
Sometimes, rather than being remembered for his own discoveries, he may be best remembered for being the person who instigated Isaac Newton to publish the Principles. This work is what many consider the greatest monument to man's achievement in science.
Newton already had a known name in the world of science thanks to previous discoveries. However, he could never have achieved his final reputation that has endured for centuries had he not published the theory of universal gravitation. Halley will be recognized as the person who had a vision for the future and who made it possible.
In his legacy we can include:
- The name of Halley's Comet Halley from which he predicted the return.
- Halley crater on Mars.
- Halley crater on the moon.
- Halley Research Station, Antarctica.
As you can see, this scientist has contributed greatly to science in numerous ways. I hope this biography helps you learn more about him.