In what year was the return of Halley's Comet confirmed, validating the orbital calculation?
Answer
1758
The ultimate confirmation of Edmond Halley's groundbreaking work came when the comet he predicted returned to the inner solar system exactly when his calculations suggested it would. This confirmation occurred in the year 1758. This successful verification was crucial because it solidified the scientific understanding that comets were indeed permanent bodies orbiting the Sun according to physical laws, rather than being random, unrelated events that appeared haphazardly in the night sky.
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