Birth:
December 14, 1546, Scania, Denmark
Death:
October 24, 1601, Prague
Early Influences:
- Father was a Danish nobleman and Mother was in charge of the Queen's Court
- Greatly influenced by his uncle who wanted to adopt him
- Went to Leipzig at 15 to study law as his parents wished
- While in Leipzig secretly studied astronomy
Education:
- Studied law in Leipzig
- Studied astronomy on his own
- Spent several years at European universities studying astronomy
- At age 26, studied alchemy while working with his uncle
Major Accomplishments:
- November 11, 1572, observed one of the first supernovae to be seen with the naked eye (suddenly a new star existed where none had before)
- Constructed an astronomical observatory on the island of Ven given to him and paid for by the King of Denmark, Frederick II
- Made amazingly accurate astronomical observations without the benefit of a telescope
Significance:
- Proved a new star had arisen in what was before seen as an 'unchangeable' sky
- Collected the most accurate observations of the planets and the stars which enabled Johannes Kepler to formulate his three laws of planetary motion
Contemporaries:
