A Danish nobleman, astronomer and alchemist, someone who took hold of a career in politics because of his status, Tycho Brahe was born on December 14, 1546 and lived at Knutstorp Castle. His family came from nobility. Otte Brahe, his father, held an important position in the court of the Danish King. His mother, Beate […]
Have you ever stared at the starry sky and wondered, how can the dark sky be so dark when all the stars are so bright? And if you recall correctly, isn’t the universe studded with stars even bigger than the sun? Believe it or not, this argument already exists! It is called the Olber’s Paradox,
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In 1784, Germany, one of the greatest astronomers was born. Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel, better known as Friedrich Bessel, was a young man who was determined to grasp all the knowledge he can from this world. Though he was not necessarily aiming for the heavens yet, he was eager to explore the challenges beyond land. By
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Not everyone has it easy. Though everyone can attest to that, not everyone has really lived its truth. Take for example one of the greatest contributors to astronomy and optics, Joseph von Fraunhofer. Born 1787, it only took ten years till he was completely an orphan. Not only did he lose both his parents by
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During the 1700s-1800s, the Germans seemed to have a flair for producing what would be the world’s renowned set of astronomers to have ever lived. One of them is Johann Franz Encke. Born in September 1791, this man of nobility and many awards was not only a mathematician and astronomer, but once in his life,
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You’ve heard of political dynasties? How about astronomy dynasties? Well, you probably haven’t heard about the Struve family. They are quite famous for having astronomers in the family, having extended the study of science up to four generations. Here are a few names that are related to our star astronomer: Otto Struve, Ludwig Struve and
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If there is a recurring theme among astronomers, it is their love of mathematics. Does this mean they also love to count money? Apparently, for one particular astronomer, yes it does! It should come as no surprise that William Lassell is not only an astronomer, but a merchant as well. Though accomplished and famous astronomers
He is known as the father of modern astronomy. Who would not know the proponent of this very famous heliocentric cosmology? He is no other than Nicolaus Copernicus. This famous man theorized that the Sun is at the center of the Universe in which the Earth revolves around it. Prior to knowing his contributions, the
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The Germans were not the only ones who had an astronomer during the 1700s. And who says astronomers just have to be interested in stars and telescopes? December 1798, Thomas James Henderson was born. Astronomy was his calling, but it was not his first choice. After graduating from high school, he was educated as a
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Being responsible for the birth of modern science, as well as being considered as the Father of Modern Physics, the Father of Science, and the Father of Modern Observational Astronomy ? no doubt Galileo Galilei shall be viewed with utmost regard and recognition. He is considered to be a follower of Copernican as his contributions
