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Apr 9, 1559
The Beginning
Tycho, at the age of twelve, began studying at the university of Copenhagen. This was not uncommon for the time period, as children were frequently attending school at this age to progress their understanding of certain topics of interest. Not long after, Tycho would learn about a lunar eclipse, which would help develop his interest in astronomy. -
Aug 13, 1563
Keeping Track
Tycho began tracking his observations within a detailed logbook. He began this logbook by documenting his first sightings of Mars, as well as the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. By keeping a thorough track of his sightings, Tycho was able to determine that were flaws within previously stated theories. He identified flaws within the Ptolemy Earth-centered model and the Copernicus Sun-centered model. -
Nov 11, 1572
Tycho's Star
Tycho, who was extremely familiar with the night sky and all of the stars that occupied its space, identified the presence of an additional, "new" star within the night sky. He was certain that no star had ever existed within this location before and documented its motion relative to the stars that were located within the background but found none. It would later be determined that Tycho's "star" was actually the explosion of a white dwarf star, causing a type 1 supernova! -
The Foundation
Tycho began construction of an observatory that consisted of a subterranean foundation and was located within vicinity of Uraniborg, which he had determined was too crowded with his helpers and instruments. He deemed this new observatory "Star Castle", and its sole purpose was to verify previous observations in privacy, away from his assistants. It contained warming room with several portraits of previous astronomers from antiquity to himself.