Today in the history of astronomy, one of history's greatest astronomers passes away.

| Published: October 24, 2026

In addition to his own astronomical work, Tycho Brahe laid the groundwork for revolutionary science by Johannes Kepler and Isaac Newton decades after his death. Credit: R Cooper, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In Astronomy ’s 2022 list of the 20 greatest astronomers of all time, Associate Editor Michael Bakich ranked Tycho Brahe No. 2, second only to Galileo, noting: “Danish astronomer Tyge (Tycho) Ottesen Brahe was history’s greatest pre-telescopic observer.”

Born Dec. 14, 1546, Tycho was raised by an uncle who funded his education at the University of Leipzig. There, he discovered that most existing publications of stellar and planetary positions were hugely inaccurate, and decided to devote his life to rectifying this problem.…