Edmund Halley
Edmund Halley was an English astronomer, geophysicist, mathematician, meteorologist, and physicist who is best known for computing the orbit of the eponymous Halley's Comet. Here are some key points about his life and contributions:
- Birth and Early Life: Born on November 8, 1656, in Haggerston, Middlesex (now part of London), Halley was the son of a wealthy soapmaker. He was educated at St Paul's School and later at Queen's College, Oxford, where he studied astronomy.
- First Notable Achievement: At the age of 20, Halley published his first paper, which dealt with the observation of the transit of Mercury across the Sun. This work was recognized by the Royal Society, and he was elected a fellow in 1678.
- Southern Hemisphere Observations: In 1676, Halley traveled to the island of St. Helena to catalogue stars of the Southern Hemisphere, which led to the publication of Catalogus Stellarum Australium in 1679. This was the first such catalogue compiled for the southern stars.
- Cometary Work: Halley is most famous for his work on comets. He was the first to realize that comets seen in 1531, 1607, and 1682 were the same object returning over and over again. He predicted its return in 1758, which occurred posthumously, confirming his calculations.
- Support for Isaac Newton: Halley played a crucial role in the publication of Isaac Newton's Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica. He not only suggested that Newton publish his work but also financed the printing of the first edition.
- Geophysical and Meteorological Contributions:
- Halley made significant contributions to the understanding of Earth's magnetic field, publishing "A Theory of the Variation of the Magnetical Compass" in 1683, where he proposed that the Earth was a giant magnet.
- He also studied trade winds and monsoon patterns, proposing a theory that Earth's atmosphere rotated faster at the equator than at the poles.
- Legacy:
- The comet named after him, Halley's Comet, returns approximately every 75-76 years.
- Halley's work on the motion of celestial bodies helped to cement the Newtonian laws of motion and gravitation.
- He was appointed as the second Astronomer Royal in 1720, succeeding John Flamsteed.
- Death: Halley died on January 14, 1742, in Greenwich, London, and was buried in the churchyard of St Margaret's, Lee.
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