Considering his life, we can consider Tycho Brahe as the strangest astronomer in history. His scientific achievements are at the peak of a life of luxury, marked by many surreal anecdotes, and due to the October infection. He died on October 24, 1601. He was a fairly important astronomer in history, whose influence can be explored in his relationship with other astronomy greats such as Nicolaus Copernicus y Johannes Kepler.
Therefore, we are going to dedicate this article to tell you all the biography and feats of Tycho Brahe.
Tycho Brahe biography
Tycho Brahe was born on December 14, 1546 in Knudstrup, Sweden. Son of the King's personal advisor, young tycho Brahe was raised by his uncle Joergen Brahe under the strictest standards. His uncle wanted Tycho to continue his career in the service of the monarch, so he provided him with a solid education in Latin humanities. In 1559, at the age of 13, he sent him to the University of Copenhagen, where he read books and novels. After a year at the university, on August 21, 1560, a solar eclipse occurred, leaving a profound impression on young Tycho.
Although he moved to the University of Leipzig to study law, Brahe did not stop his astronomical observations at any time, And it was during one of them—during the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn—that he realized the errors he had made. This distressed him greatly, and he decided to study and change these predictions. While studying law at the University of Leipzig, Brahe observed the planetary encounter between Jupiter and Saturn and noticed errors in astronomical predictions. This led him to delve deeper into the astronomical advances of his time.
In 1565, on the advice of his uncle, Brahe returned to Copenhagen. That same year his uncle Joergen passed away, and Brahe, despite opposition from his family, obtained a large inheritance, which he used for research in the field of astronomy. On December 29, 1566, 20-year-old Brahe became embroiled in a fierce dispute with the Danish nobleman Mandrup Parsbjög. Evidently, although according to the author's statement, Parsbjerg has been flouting Tycho's prediction. Others say that this fight stems from a simple mathematical disagreement.
However, the astronomers did not want to miss the insult and it all ended in a street fight. Some sources indicated that Tycho was the winner, even though his luck was so bad that the fatal blow inflicted by his opponent tore part of his nose. Since then, Tycho Brahe had to wear a prosthesis that, according to him, was made of gold and silver. A dispute with a Danish nobleman It caused Brahe to lose part of his nose and, according to him, he had to wear a gold and silver prosthesis.
Feats of Tycho Brahe
Part of his uncle's astronomer's wealth was destined to finance extravagant whims. For example, he raised a dwarf named Jeep, and according to Brahe himself, he has clairvoyance. Due to the social differences between them, despite their deep friendship, the two cannot share a table during lunch, so Brahe thinks that if Jep eats under the table, he can eat with him. His other peculiarity is having a pet elk, which he named Rix. This deer obviously lived comfortably in his Ulaniborg Palace, the place Brahe used as an observatory.
The astronomical center was a residence built by King Frederick II of Denmark between 1576 and 1580. Located on the island of Kom, Denmark. Obviously, Brahe has a habit of quenching his thirst with a keg full of beer. In one of the alcohol abuse, the moose lost its balance and broke its neck when falling down the stairs.
In addition to all these peculiarities, it is well known that before the invention of the telescope, Tycho Brahe was the best observer of the sky. Tycho believes that progress in astronomy cannot be achieved through occasional observations and specific investigations, but requires systematic observations and measurements, night after night, and the use of instruments that are as precise as possible. Brahe opposed Nicolaus Copernicus and defended the heliocentric geocentric model, according to which the moon and sun revolve around the Earth, while Mars, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn revolve around the sun. His position was also a turning point in the history of astronomical thought.
Before the invention of the telescope, Brahe was the leading exponent of sky observation and did not agree with the theory of .
Nova in the sky with your name
In 1572, a star that had never been seen in the sky before appeared in the constellation Cassiopeia. This star is actually a new star, and Brahe is very interested in it. He spent about a year making various observations. Between them, you can check that there is no parallax (that is, there is no difference in appearance position) no matter where you look from. The appearance of this star is one of Brahe's greatest contributions to the field of astronomy: a contradiction in the view that fixed stars are immutable, and this view was still valid at the time. Today, this supernova is named after him.
In 1573, Tycho Brahe published his first work, which reflected his observation, De nova Stella, which was very popular. Also in the same year, he had a relationship with a woman of peasant origin named Kirsten, married her despite her family's opposition, and gave birth to her. This personal event had repercussions on his life and work.
Brahe was the first person to see a star in the constellation of Cassiopeia, which is actually a new star. Through this observation, he was able to refute the then-current view that stars are immutable. The death of King Frederick II in 1588 meant that the astronomer lost his rights to the island Hewen and the pension he received from the monarch. For this reason, he left Denmark and was received by King Rudolf II in Prague in 1599. Rudolf II appointed him royal mathematician and provided him with a castle as an observatory, paying considerable expenses. At this time, Brahe met his disciple, also a famous astronomer: Brahe. Although their relationship was somewhat complicated at first, Brahe and Kepler eventually reached a fruitful collaboration.
End of the astronomer
On October 13, 1601, Brahe was invited to hold a banquet at the court of Baron Rosenberg, the protector of Prague. At the time, it was considered rude to get up from the table before the meal was over and the host had not come. During the feast, Brahe drank too much wine and his bladder began to press on him, but since he was not rude, he persisted longer than suggested. This resulted in an infection that prevented him from urinating normally because he could only urinate in rare cases. After 11 days of suffering, astronomers' lives suddenly came to an end.