What conceptual shift followed Halley's proof regarding comet discovery?
Answer
A comet could be predicted before it was ever seen again
The work performed by Edmond Halley redefined what it meant to 'discover' a comet. Prior to his successful application of Newtonian mechanics, a discovery was synonymous with the first visual appearance of the object. After Halley demonstrated that comets followed fixed, calculable orbits, a comet became a discovered entity years or even decades in advance, based solely on mathematical projection. This monumental change meant that the return could be anticipated and verified when the object reappeared, cementing comets as permanent, orbital members of the solar system rather than transient phenomena.
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