BRAHE, TYCHO (braie), a Swedish astronomer, born in Knudstrup, near Lund, Dec. 14, 1546. He was descended from a noble family, and was sent, at the age of 13, to the University of Copenhagen. An eclipse of the sun turned his attention to astronomy. His uncle destined him for the law, but Brahe, while his tutor slept, busied himself nightly with the stars. He suc ceeded, as early as 1563, in detecting grave errors in the Alphonsine tables and the so-called Prutenic (i. e., Prus sian) tables, and set about their cor rection. At Wittenberg, where he re sided for a short time, he lost part of his nose in a duel with a Danish gen tleman; but contrived one of gold, silver and wax. After two years spent in Augsburg, he returned home, where, in 1572, he discovered a new and bril liant star in the constellation Cassi opeia. In 1573 he married a peasant girl. After some time spent in travel, Brahe received from his sovereign, Frederic II., the offer of the island of
liven of Hoene, in the Sound, as the site for an observatory, the King also offering to defray the cost of erection, and of the necessary astronomical in struments, as well as to provide him with a suitable salary. Brahe accepted the generous proposal, and, in 1576, the foundation stone of the castle of Uranienburg ("fortress of the heav ens") was laid. Here, for a period of 20 years, Brahe prosecuted his observa tions. Frederic II. died and under Christian IV. Brahe had his emolu ments cut off and left the country. After residing a short time at Rostock and at Wandsbeck, near Hamburg, he accepted an invitation of the Emperor Rudolf II.—who conferred on him a pension—to Benatek, a few miles from Prague, where a new Uranienburg was to have been erected for him; but he died at Prague on Oct. 24, 1601.