Tycho Brahe

About Tycho:

Tycho Brahe is known as one of the most reliable naked eye observers of his time. Using an elaborate naked eye observatory sponsored by King Frederick II, Tycho was able to accurately measure the movements of the stars. He was convinced that the Sun was the center of the solar system but he was never able to prove it from his data. Even still, his measurements and findings allowed other astronomers, like Kepler, to develop their own conclusions and calculations.

During Brahe’s Lifetime:

During Tycho Brahe’s life Ivan the Terrible of Russia came into power. He took on the title of Tsar Ivan IV and expanded the Russia across many Asian territories.  In addition, Machiavelli’s The Prince was written at this time. It was soon place on the Pope’s Index of Prohibited books because of the controversial ideas it addressed.

One important figure who lived during Tycho Brahe’s time was Elizabeth I of England. She lived from September 7, 1533 to March 24, 1603. She played an important role in England’s state religion, changing it back from Queen Mary’s Catholicism to her father’s Anglican Church.

Learning about the historical context of Tycho’s life helps to uncover some of the reasons for his pursuit of a more accurate astronomical model. It was a time of great political and cultural changes. It’s logical that this was the time that scientists started to question the accuracy of older models of the solar system. Just as religion and political alliances were changing drastically, the scientific process was changing as well. In addition, understanding the context of Tycho’s life puts into perspective how long ago his discoveries were made. It makes his accomplishments even more impressive because the modern technology that we rely on for measurement and observation was never available for him.

Bibliography:

“Elizabeth I.” Elizabeth I. Tudor History Website, n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2013.

“History Timeline.” History Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2013.

“Ivan IV Biography.” Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2013.

“Niccolo Machiavelli.” Niccolo Machiavelli Biography. Brandeis University, n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2013.

“Tycho Brahe.” The Galileo Project. Rice University, n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2013.