Tycho Brahe

Towards the end of 1571, Tycho Brahe met Kirsten Jørgensdatter, daughter of Jørgen Hansen, the Lutheran minister in Knudstrup. As she was a commoner, they could not get married without jeopardizing his noble privileges. But as the law permitted morganatic marriage, they lived as husband and wife till his death.

They had eight children, out of which six lived to see adulthood. Their surviving children were Kristen/Kristine (1573), Magdalene (1574), Elizabeth (1579), Tycho (1581) Cecilie (1582) and George (1583).

As per Danish law, his wife and children were deprived of noble status and barred from inheriting his property. Although King Frederick agreed to pass the ownership of Hven to his heirs, his successor refused to do so. They were however treated as nobles at the Imperial court in Prague.

Tycho Brahe was born as Tyge Ottesen Brahe on 14 December 1546 at Knutstorp Castle, located eight kilometers north of Svalöv, then under Danish Scania, but now a part of Sweden. The castle was the ancestral seat of the Brahes, one of the most powerful noble families of Denmark.

Tycho’s father, Otte Brahe, was a rich and powerful nobleman, possessing vast stretches of land. Serving on the Rigsraadet, the Council of the Realm, he later became the governor of the castle of Helsingborg, which controlled the main waterways to the Baltic Sea.

Tycho’s mother, Beate Clausdatter nee Bille, also came from another powerful noble family. She was the daughter of Clause Bille, a member of both the Norwegian and the Danish Councils of the Realm. She herself was a member of the royal court and became the Chief Lady-in-Waiting for Queen Sophie.

Tycho was born second of his parents’ twelve children, having an elder sister named Lizbeth. He had a twin brother, who died before baptism. Three other siblings also died before reaching adulthood. His youngest sibling, Sophie Brahe, later became known for her knowledge in horticulture, astronomy, chemistry and medicine.

At the age of two, Tycho was abducted by his childless uncle, Jørgen Thygesen Brahe, Commander of Tostrup Castle, to be raised as his son. Strangely, the family remained united even after this incident and his biological parents never tried to take him back.

Although his father was keen that he immediately joined the civil service, Tycho Brahe persuaded him to allow him to make one more trip. Thus Tycho was back to Rostock by January 1568, later visiting Basel, Freiburg, and Augsburg.

It was at Augsburg that he managed to obtain a patron, on whose estate, he built a huge quadrant. Although it was very accurate it was too big and allowed only one observation per night. Apart from that, he also constructed a large celestial globe with wood.

Tycho returned home towards the end of 1570 and his father died in May 1571. Thereafter, his maternal uncle, Steen Bille, suggested that he start living in Herrevad Abbey, at that time under his control.

With Steen Bille’s financial help Tycho Brahe built a laboratory at Herrevad Abbey where he invented an improved technique for manufacturing of paper and very soon started producing the material in Klippan Mill, located nearby. Later, he also helped in erecting a glasswork in the Abbey.

On the evening of 11 November 1572, after emerging from his laboratory, Tycho noticed a new star in the constellation of Cassiopeia. Not sure of himself, he called his assistant, possibly his sister Sophia, to verify it. Once it was done, he had it under observation continuously till March 1574.

Discovery of the supernova established Tycho Brahe as a leading astronomer. In September 1574, he received appointment as a lecturer of astronomy in the University of Copenhagen; but gave it up from following spring as he began to receive an annual income from his father’s estate.

On leaving his job, Tycho went on a tour visiting several cities. On his return, King Frederick offered him lordship of several important estates; but he refused them, preferring to devote his time to the study of astronomy, finally relenting when the king offered the island of Hven in Øresund.

At Hven, with the financial assistance of King Frederick, Tycho built the first custom built laboratory in Europe, dedicating the building to the Muse of Astronomy, Urania and naming it The Castle of Urania or Uraniborg. However, he soon found that the tower-mounted instruments were moved easily by the wind.

Looking for a more suitable position, he now built Stjerneborg or the Castle of the Stars at ground level. Working from these laboratories, surrounded by scholars, Tycho continued to observe the sky, not only making new entries, but also correcting mistakes in previous observations.

He also kept in touch with astronomers and scientists from across Europe through letters, enquiring about their work, discussing his own progress. While many of these scholars came to visit him at Hven, he developed enmity with some others.