Guest Author - Lea Terry

One of the most well-known astronomers of all time, Edmund Halley achieved fame and recognition early in life, as well as profound personal and professional disappointment.

Born in November 1656 in Shoreditch, near London, Halley was the son of a wealthy soap maker, also named Edmund. When Halley was 10, his father lost much of his estate in the Great Fire of London, but still provided a high-quality education for his son. At St. Paul’s School, Halley was already recognized as an exceptional child, and in 1673, at age 17, he entered Queen’s College Oxford. By this time, he was an experienced astronomer, thanks to the many astronomical instruments bought for him by his father. In 1675, Halley began working with Flamsteed, the Astronomer Royal. In 1676, Halley left school and went to St. Helena to map the stars of the southern hemisphere. Such a trip would have required substantial financial support, which Halley received from King Charles II, who asked the East India Company to fund his trip. In 1678, Halley returned to England, where he published his map of the southern hemisphere stars, and he soon became one of the most respected astronomers of the day. In November of that year, at just 22, Halley was named one of the youngest-ever Fellows of England’s Royal Society.

However, Halley’s early and widespread fame couldn’t insulate him from personal crises. Once his mentor, Flamsteed eventually turned against Halley. Halley had married in 1682, bringing increased financial responsibilities. Halley’s mother had died 10 years earlier, and Halley’s father remarried, with disastrous consequences. His father’s marital troubles put an end to the financial support he had given Halley, and then in 1684, Halley’s father disappeared, and was found dead five weeks later. Halley had to oversee his father’s estate, and his time was consumed by legal, property and family issues.

Despite all of this, Halley was still dedicated to his astronomical research, and in 1691 he applied for a position at Oxford as the chair of astronomy. However, Flamsteed was against his appointment, largely because of Halley’s association with Sir Isaac Newton, whom Flamsteed disliked. Halley was not appointed to the position. Halley continued working, however, including in a number of positions for the Royal Society. He published many of his scientific findings through Society publications, including the first meteorological chart ever published. Beginning in about 1695, Halley began studying the orbits of comets. In 1705 he published his study of the comet of 1682 (now called Comet Halley). He identified it as the same object that appeared in 1531 and 1607, and predicted it would appear again in December 1758. Halley had been dead 15 years by the time the comet appeared in 1758, just as he had predicted, but his prediction had not been forgotten, and he reclaimed his widespread fame.