Portrait of Tycho Brahe (1546-1601), 1586

Item

Identifier: FA-PR-0046

Staff Only

Portrait of Tycho Brahe (1546-1601) still image

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

Caltech Images is a collection of over ten thousand images representing Caltech's history and the people who have contributed to the Caltech story. It includes historic and contemporary photographs of people and places, reproductions of historic scientific artifacts and art, and illustrations drawn from Caltech's rare book collection in the history of science and technology.

Dates

Creation: 1586

Conditions Governing Access

For more information consult the Caltech Archives Reproduction and Permissions.

Extent

1 photographs

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Additional Description

Abstract

Engraved portrait of Danish observational astronomer Brahe, showing Brahe age 40, dated 1586. Brahe’s records were used by Kepler to describe the orbits of planets around the sun and disprove the Ptolemaic theory. Engraving by Jacob de Gheyn (1565-1629). In the enrgraving, one can see surrounding Brahe--who was of Danish nobility--the coats of arms of his ancestors. [Note: This engraving was used in Brahe’s ASTRONOMIAE INSTAURATAE MECHANICA.]