IN STARRY SKIES

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 1, 1 July 1926, Page 4

IN STARRY SKIES

THE CALLING OF 'FYCHO BRAHE

(By ''Omega Contauri.'')

"They thought him a-'magician, Tycho Brahe, Who lived on that strange island in the Sound; Kino miles- from Elsinoro. . His "legend roach od The Mermaid Inn. the year that Shakespeare died. i*ynes Mbryson had brought his travellers* tales Of Whewr, the; heart-shaped isle where Tycho madeHis great discoveries, and, with- loppe,. his dwarf, And flaxen-haired Christine, .the peas-' ant girl, Dreamed: his: great dreams for five andtwenty years; For there' he lit that lanthorn of the law, Uraniborg; that fortress of the truth With Pegasus flying' above its loftic3t tower, While, in its roofs, like wide enchanted eyes Jfatching, tho brightest windows in. the world, * Opened upon the. stars. '.'■■■ —Alfred- Noyes. Three and: a ' half years after the. death of Copemious; there was- born atKnudstrup, near the. southern extremity of tho: Scandinavian Peninsula, one who was destined to become the greatest astronomical'observer that the world had seen, for seventeen hundred years; Tychoj Brahe ranks with Hipparohus and Herschol. He prepared tho way for a mora, complete, understanding of the solar: system* and; his work, is the sure: foundation;.of. modern: knowledge. Tychoi'siparerits belonged'to an ancient family which, had flourished' for cen-turies-in Denmark and had. spread; into', Sweden, and' which is-still to be found in both- countries, His father was a Privy Councillor; and" became later the Governor- of Hclsingborg Castle. Although the Danish nobles of thoso days wero: great patrons of learning, and although-nearly everyone, of their country seats possessed a... good library, Tycho: found, his noble birth, a great, obstacle in tho way of his. scientific researches. It. was one: thing to patronise learning, but cniite another, to, engage personally in active scientific work. Tycho _ parents: and relatives had no sympathy whatever, for his desire to; advance astronomical, discovery. If he; could; not rest, content with the idle life of a country gentloman; they wished', him-, to become a.Statesman, or even to engage in the. moro gentlemanly study- of' the law. But in: spite: of' all their efforts, and'of the hindrances they put in/ liis way; Tychri was destined to be an astronomer, and to transform' the whole- of that great, science Twice he received' a special call. The first came before he completed his fourteenth year, the second twelve years lateT; The first took the form of an eclipse of the sun- which occurred on 21st August,. I's_o;. Tycho> viewed it from Copenhagen, where it was only partial! but.it made- a. lasting-impres-sion, on. him.. He had.already become deeply interested' in astrology, and the fact that.the eclipse had; been' foretold struck, him as being so wonderful that he immediately made up his mind, to acquire for himself the power of: making such predictions. This incident is. graphically sketched by Noyes in his- great- poem; "They- thought him a magician, Tycho Brahe, The Astrologer,, who wore the mask of ■ 'gold. Perhaps lie. was. There's magic in: the tr.uth;. and. only those who find and follow its law 3. can. work it's- miracles. ■ Tycho sought the truth: Prom that- strange: year in: boyhood when he heard: ,! The great eclipse foretold; and, on the day Appointed,, at the- very minute- even; Beheld the weirdly punctual shadow creepl Across the Suir,. bewildering, all the birds With thoughts of evening; He whispered there: "So it is true. By searching in the heavens Man can foretell the future" But of all the millions who watched and marvelled: at that eclipse,. Tyclio alone answered: the- call. He was- to some extent prepared for it. His: early years had been' well spent, not a moment wasted.. Her was; noted: for the. extraordinary vehemence ,of his character and his superabundant energy. When he was-- but one year old he was adopted by a wealthy uncle; .From the age of seven he was taught by a tutor, and made good uso of his, opportunities. The Latin language was tlien indispensable; for- a scholar, and: Tycho learnt* it so thoroughly whilst a boy that for the rest of his life he could converse in it as well as write, it. He was fond of writing. Latin poetry, and many of his poems are said to possess considerable merit. Soon after- he was; twelve years; old' he entered" the University of Copenhagen-, where- hi 3 uncle wished hinv to study,, more especially rhetoric and philosophy, in. preparation, for a career as a statesman.. But during, tho two years Be spent at Copenhagen,, after the solar eclipse-' .Tycho occupied himself chiefly -with mathematical and astronomical studies-. He- maiiagod to procure a copy of the Ephemeridcs of Stadius,. and one of the works of Ptolemy. The latter, with- copious, marginal notes in TycHo's schoolboy hand, is still preserved: as one: of the most priceless treasures-in the library of the University at Prague. It was usual: in those days'- for- a student to complete his education' at some- foreign university,-, so,, in 1562, his uncle sent Tycho, accompanied by a private tutor named Vedel; to the University of Leipzig; By separating him from all his former companions the uncle- hoped, to induce him, to give up his, scientific studies and to turn to others -which were considered more, suitable for a nobleman. Vedel, who was-four years his senior, did his utmost to turn Tycho's thoughts to-wards-the law, but met with no success. Tycho. showed no enthusiasm whatever for it,, but' immediately sought tho acquaintance of? the Professor of Mathematics, and; although- he had to render to Vedel an account of all Ink expenditure, most of his money went for astronomical books or instruments. He procured, a tiny celestial globe, which he had to keep> hidden and could use only when Vedel was asleep. The main instrument which ho used regularly about this- time: was an, ordinary pair of compasses^ By holding the hinge close to his eye and pointing the legs towards the planets or stars whoso angular distance apart ha wished to: measure, ho soon convinced himself : that ' all the accepted tables wero mono or less, incorrect.. Ho had now .added the Alplionsine and the Prutenic tables to those- of Stadius; . With. his crude instrument, used however with astonishing skill and patience, ho detected, in all these tables- so- many in-accuracies-that he realised the necessity of making a long series of careful anil systematic, observations. "All this he did in secret, for his birth AVas noble, and such wonderiug3 were a, sign Of low estate, when Tycho Brahe was .... ?.__!_ .'- "'" ' r r--"-""•"" " I

And all. liis kinsmen hoped that Tycho Brahe Would live, serene as they, among his dogs And horses;, or, if honour must bo won Let the superfluous glory flow from fields Where blood might still be shod; or from, the Courts Where statesmen ,lie. But Tyclio sought the truth. So when they sent, him in his tutor's charge To Leipzig, for such studios, as they held Moro worthy of his princely -blood; he searched' ' ' Tho Almagest; and while liis tutor slept Measured the delicate angles of the stars, Out of his window.,, with. his. compasses,. His; only instrument.. Even with this rude aid He found so. many an ancient wrong ■That mor.e and more-ho burned, to find the truth." —Alfred Koycsi

.. As one instance of these observations). Tycho found, on. __tli August, 1563, that Jupiter and Saturn were so close together that the space between ■was scarcely visible. The Prutenio tables were a few days wrong in predicting the time of nearest approach, ■whilst the Alplionsiiie tables were- a • whole month- in. error. In. tlio next, 'year Tycho secured a "cross-staff," one of theinstrumeiits used by the intrepid early navigators. He. soon found, that ;the: angles calculated, from the graduations on: it were not. correct. Vcdol refused: to supply money for a better instrument, so Tycho calculated'a table of corrections to bo: applied to all observations made -with tho crossi-staffi. ! This was a notable advanco in- the sci-'enco-of- observing, and the principle is adopted to the present day. In. May, 1565, war having- broken out between Denmark and.Sweden; Tycho , was recalled.' from Leipzig. Vedol: and he succeeded ■ in, Teaching Copenhagen in safety. Jbrgeiv Brahe, his guardian uncle, had just returned from a naval battle in the Baltic. In riding across .a, bridge King Frederick was thrown .into the water. In helping- to rescue him Jorgen caught a chill which led to a disease from which ho- died' a few days, later. All" of. Tycho/s. relations, except Steen Bille,, one- of- his- mother's J Brothers, still strongly.'objected to his i odd tasto for Stan-gazing,, SO.lie was glad to escape from uncongenial surroundings. Tychoy therefore, set off for Wittenberg,, where ho found his former tutor Vedol.. Hero. Tycho- studied, under Professor Pencer, distinguished not ,' only as a: mathematician, but also as a I;physician- and a historian. Fivo mouths later the plague broke out at Wittenberg, and. Tycho went to- the University' ,of Bostoclfji Here a-most unfortunate event occurred-. A quarrel with another Danish- nobleman led to a duel in which Tycho lost part of his nose. He repaired the damage as best lie could , with, a skilfully constructed: mask of .gold and silver which he wore for the rest of his. life. In spite, of the want of sympathy shown by his countrymen, Tyclio's energy, and perseverance were beginning to- be appreciated, and in 1568 King Frederick 11. promised him the first canonry that became vac- ; ant in the Cathedral of Roskilde. For |; more than- a century after the Reformation the incomes attached to these, I positions were used- to- assist men of learning. During: this year Tycho I: again visited1 "Wittenburg: and later iwent to the University at Basle. In. ■1569'1ie-was at Augsburg, where lie met J Paul Hainzel, who was particularly iuj. terested in astronomy. Tycho designed an immense quadrant with a radius 'of about. 19 feet. This was successfully constructed' and: erected' in Hainzel'-'s j: garden, where it stood: for five years ' until it was: destroyed, by „a great storm. Tyclio arranged also for the construction- of" a: celestial srJobc five feet in diameter.. In 1570 Tycho was recalled' to Denmark, by the serious ilk ness of his- father; who: died the f ollow■ing year. Tycho remained' at home for some time- after his, father's, doath and then went to live with Steen Bille, who :was interested' in many, branches of learning and of industry.. Ho it was who established the first glass works - and the first paper, mill in Denmark.. Chemistry was one .of his- favourite studies, and- Tycho arranged a laboratory in an outhouse and: worked there with, great industry. Chemistry and astrology were, closely connected, and • probacy Tycho did not feel that he was- altogether' neglecting: astronomy, ; but for two years lie does not seem to have recorded a single observation. jßut now. came his. second call, in the shape of the most brilliant and- remarkable nova- seen iii historic times. The new star of 1573 brought Tycho from. his laboratory and: induced, him. to devote to astronomy the remainder of his 'life. ■ ' ' '