Tycho Brahe died on 24 October 1601 in Prague, aged 54. 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
- 19 November 1600Birth of Charles I of England
- 31 December 1600Founding of East India Company
- 1601Construction of Jerónimos Monastery
- 27 September 1601Birth of Louis XIII of France
- 24 October 1601Death of Tycho Brahe
- 1602Founding of Dutch East India Company
- 1602Publication of Hamlet
- from 1603 to 1868Edo period
- 1603Birth of Abel Tasman
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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 17th century.