September 23, 2008

In Today's One Minute Astronomer...

Tycho Brahe

You may recall Isaac Newton's famous quote: “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.” One of those giants was the flamboyant silver-nosed Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe. His accurate pre-telescopic observations laid the groundwork for modern astronomy. He threw darned good parties too.

The Basics

• Born in 1546 to a wealthy family, Tycho was educated at the finest European universities. He took to astronomy after watching a solar eclipse in 1560.

• At the age of 20 and after a night of heavy drinking, the colorful Tycho challenged a fellow student to a duel with rapiers. Tycho lost part of his nose in the duel. For the rest of his life, he wore a silver insert over the remains of his nose.

• Tycho persuaded the Danish King Fredrick II to fund two observatories named Uraniborg and Stjerneborg. Tycho constructed his own precise instruments and made thousand of accurate measurements of the stars and planets. He was the last important astronomer to work without a telescope.

Tycho Brahe (1546-1601)

A Deeper Look

• Tycho knew the stars by memory at an early age. During an after-dinner stroll in 1572, he was astonished to see a “new” star in Cassiopeia. This star was a supernova, and its appearance helped dispel the ancient view that the heavens are fixed and unchanging.

• Known as a charismatic host, Tycho held court and worked at Uraniborg for many years until a falling out with the Danish king sent Tycho to Prague in 1599.

• In 1601, at a festive banquet at which there was much drinking, Tycho compelled himself to remain in his seat out of stubbornness and good manners despite an urgent need to relieve himself. Legend has it Tycho suffered a burst bladder that evening. He died 11 days later.

A Bit More History

Another theory on Tycho's death: he was murdered. Some historians believe his assistant, Johannes Kepler, poisoned Tycho to gain access to his data. Kepler stole Tycho's data after his death and used it to formulate the three laws of planetary motion. Newton later used Kepler's Laws to validate his theory of gravitation.

Personal View

As an astronomy graduate student, I was a member of a “drinking society” named after Tycho Brahe. Despite many pints of ale, my bladder remained intact. Who says astronomers don't have fun?

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