The simplest and the most ancient method was unaided observation with the naked eye.
Tycho Brahe’s Uraniborg observatory.
Tycho Brahe was arguably the greatest observational astronomer to live before telescopes were invented.
Brahe was known for his meticulous and precise observations of celestial objects and events.
Brahe compiled the first comprehensive and accurate star catalog, containing the positions of over 1,000 stars.
This catalog served as a reference for later astronomers and contributed to the improvement of navigation and celestial mapping.
In 1572, Brahe observed a supernova in the constellation Cassiopeia.
Tycho Brahe’s most lasting contribution was his collaboration with the German mathematician and astronomer Johannes Kepler.
These laws became the foundation for Isaac Newton’s law of universal gravitation.
Using his independence and financial security, Brahe established an observatory called Uraniborg on the island.
It was the first time that a building was erected in Europe especially for the purpose of astronomical observations.
It was also one of the last observatories built before the development of the telescope.
The main building of the observatory.
The main building was three storied.
The ground floor was occupied by Brahe and his family, as well as by visiting astronomers.
The northern tower housed the kitchens, and the southern a library.
Various astronomical instruments at Uraniborg.
The third floor rooms were for students.
Uraniborg also had a large basement where Brahe established an alchemical laboratory.
The entire complex was surrounded by a large earth mound.
That mound is the only remnant of the observatory still in place.
After the death of King Frederick II, Brahe lost financial support forcing him to abandon Hven in 1597.
Uraniborg and Stjerneborg were partly excavated in the 1950s.
A fruit orchard was also placed within the center of the pavilion.
The refurbished structure of Uraniborg and Stjerneborg have been incorporated into a museum dedicated to Tycho Brahe.
The Uraniborg site today.
Photo credit:L.G.foto/Wikimedia Commons
