Tycho Brahe was born on 14 December 1546 in Knutstorp Castle. A Danish nobleman and astronomer, Brahe was born in Scania, then part of Denmark, and became fascinated by the sky after seeing a solar eclipse as a boy. His observation of the supernova of 1572 and the great comet of 1577 undermined the idea of unchanging heavens. With funding from King Frederick II he built the observatory of Uraniborg on the island of Hven, where he made the most precise astronomical measurements of the pre-telescope era. He proposed a model in which the planets orbit the Sun while the Sun orbits the Earth. In Prague he employed Johannes Kepler, who used his data to discover the laws of planetary motion. He wore a metal prosthesis after losing part of his nose in a duel.
Before and after
- from 1545 to 1648Counter-Reformation
- from 13 December 1545 to 21 February 1563Council of Trent
- 18 February 1546Death of Martin Luther
- from 10 July 1546 to 23 May 1547Schmalkaldic War
- 14 December 1546Birth of Tycho Brahe
- from 1547 to 1721Tsardom of Russia
- 28 January 1547Death of Henry VIII of England
- 29 September 1547Birth of Miguel de Cervantes
- 2 December 1547Death of Hernán Cortés
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The era
This moment belongs to the Early modern world (1500 CE to 1760 CE), voyages, printing and new ideas. You can also browse everything in the 16th century.