Edmond Halley was educated at Oxford University. In 1675 he worked for the Astronomer Royal John Flamsteed.
In 1676 he left John Flamsteed to compile a catalogue of the Southern Stars.
On his return in 1678 he was elected to the Royal Society.
Halley watched a number of comets and in 1695 and tried to figure out all their orbits.
In 1705, he published his "Astronomiae Cometiae Synopsis" which include the prediction of Halley's Comet. He had found that three comets had almost had the exact same orbit and predicted that the three were actually one comet and that it would return in 1758.
And it did.
Sadly, Halley wasn't around to see it.
In 1676 he left John Flamsteed to compile a catalogue of the Southern Stars.
On his return in 1678 he was elected to the Royal Society.
Halley watched a number of comets and in 1695 and tried to figure out all their orbits.
In 1705, he published his "Astronomiae Cometiae Synopsis" which include the prediction of Halley's Comet. He had found that three comets had almost had the exact same orbit and predicted that the three were actually one comet and that it would return in 1758.
And it did.
Sadly, Halley wasn't around to see it.