In the footsteps of Edmond Halley – Dan Falk

Talk Synopsis

Halley’s Comet has become so well known that it overshadows the English astronomer’s other work — but Edmond Halley (1656-1742) made important contributions to many branches of science. He worked out the size and shape of the Earth, as well as the size of the solar system; he mapped the Earth’s magnetic field, and studied the tides and monsoons; he tried to solve the problem of measuring longitude at sea; he predicted eclipses. And he was no couch potato: Halley sailed to St. Helena, a remote island in the South Atlantic, to chart the southern stars. On a recent visit to England, Dan Falk walked in Halley’s footsteps in an effort to learn more about his life and legacy.

Bio:  Dan Falk is a science journalist and author with a particular interest in astronomy and physics. His freelance writing credits include Smithsonian, Scientific American, New Scientist, Discover, Undark, Nautilus, Quanta, and many other publications. He’s the author of three popular science books: The Science of Shakespeare, In Search of Time, and Universe on a T-Shirt. He’s also worked extensively in radio, and co-hosts a podcast called BookLab, which reviews popular science books. As well, asteroid “20039 Danfalk” is named after him.

Banner Credit:  Edmond Halley – Public domain image -wikimedia.com; Comet: March 8, 1986 by W. Liller, Easter Island; Wikipedia