My fave 16th century astronomer: Tycho Brahe

I've always had an interest in astrophysics, mostly in stellar evolution anyway. So I was intrigued when Jason had told me about Tycho Brahe.

Brahe was a 16th century astronomer whose observations of the sky had help Kepler develop his laws of gravitation. Which Newton then used to create his law of gravitation which then Einstein debunked with his theory of relativity. This is not to say that his observations were in vain, but that Brahe had a large and fundamental contribution to the approach of astrophysics.

Brahe's life was more fascinating than anything. He had an interchangeable wooden nose (he lost the real on in a fight), a clairvoyant dwarf named Jepp used to entertain guests, a pet moose which he was going to trade in for a mini horse, but the moose unfortunately drank too much beer at a party and fell down the stairs to its death.

Tycho also met an untimely death because he had to go to the bathroom at a banquet. But for the sake of courtesy, he held it in. Supposedly he gained and an infection and he died. That's what some believe anyway.

So to Tycho Brahe!