Halley's periodic returns have been subject to scientific investigation since the 16th century.
The three apparitions from 1531 to 1682 were noted by Edmond Halley, enabling him to predict it would return.
One key breakthrough occurred when Halley talked with Newton about his ideas of the laws of motion.
Newton also helped Halley get Flamsteed's data on the 1682 apparition.
By studying data on the 1531, 1607, and 1682 comets, he came to the conclusion these were the same Comet, and presented his findings in 1696.

One difficulty was accounting for the effect of the planets, and Jupiter would delay Halley somewhat for 1759.
In the decades that followed, more refined mathematics would be worked on, notable by Paris Observatory; the work on Halley also provided a boost to Newton and Kepler's rules for celestial motions. (
See also #Computation of orbit)
Halley's periodic returns have been subject to scientific investigation since the 16th century. The three apparitions from 1531 to 1682 were noted by Edmond Halley, enabling him to predict it would return. One key breakthrough occurred when Halley talked with Newton about his ideas of the laws of motion. Newton also helped Halley get Flamsteed's data on the 1682 apparition. By studying data on the 1531, 1607, and 1682 comets, he came to the conclusion these were the same Comet, and presented his findings in 1696.
One difficulty was accounting for the effect of the planets, and Jupiter would delay Halley somewhat for 1759. In the decades that followed, more refined mathematics would be worked on, notable by Paris Observatory; the work on Halley also provided a boost to Newton and Kepler's rules for celestial motions. (See also #Computation of orbit)
Halley's Comet