1546-1601

Danish Astronomer

Tycho Brahe is considered the greatest observational astronomer of the pre-telescopic era. His observations of the 1572 nova and 1577 comet helped undermine Aristotelian cosmology, while his observations of Mars proved critical to Johannes Kepler's (1571-1630) discovery of the laws of planetary motion.

Brahe was born to aristocratic parents on December 14, 1646, at Skåne in southern Sweden (then under Danish rule). While attending the University of Copenhagen, Brahe developed an interest in astronomy after observing a partial eclipse of the Sun (1560). His newfound interest was discouraged by his paternal uncle, who sent him to study law at the University of Leipzig (1562).

Brahe secretly continued his astronomical researches, and in August 1563 he observed the conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter, noting it occurred about a month later than the Alphonsine Tables and a few days later than the Prutenic Tables predicted. He resolved to prepare more accurate...