The periodic comet known as Halley's Comet returns to earth's vicinity about every 75 years, give or take a little due to gravitational pull of the planets as it passes by them. Back in the 18th century, English astronomer Edmond Halley concluded that reports of a comet appearing in 1531, 1607 and 1682 actually referred to the very same comet returning at periodic intervals.
He then predicted it would return in 1758, though he died before it appeared again. Halley's comet was in the skies again when celebrated author Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain was born November 30, 1835, in Florida, Missouri.
By 1909, 74 years had passed and Twain offered a prediction of when his life would end. It would coincide with the comet's reappearance. He was quoted as saying: "It will be the greatest disappointment of my life if I don't go out with Halley's Comet. The Almighty has said, no doubt: 'Now here are these two unaccountable freaks; they came in together, they must go out together.' "
As it turned out, Mark Twain died of a heart attack on April 21, 1910, the day after Halley's Comet emerged from the far side of the sun.
The comet's appearance proved particularly spectacular that year for other reasons as well: It passed only about 13.9 million miles from Earth, about 1/15th the distance between the Earth and the Sun. So it was up real close. And, for the first time, its flight was captured on camera.
Halley's Comet most recently appeared in 1986, and is not expected back until 2061.
--Look Up Above!! --Cooter
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