Mathematical Treasure: Tycho Brahe's New Astronomy

The major published work of Tycho Brahe (1546-1601) was intended to be Astronomiae instauratae progymnasmata (Introduction to the New Astronomy), in three volumes. The work would present his observational findings and provide a voice for his theories. The second volume appeared in 1588; however, due to technical difficulties, the first volume wasn't published until 1602, and the third volume was never done. The images below come from an edition published in 1648:

Page 97 contains a schematic of Kepler’s solar-centered universe:

Illustrations of Brahe’s innovative measuring instruments are also featured:

Images from the 1602 edition of this work can be found in Mathematical Treasure: Tycho Brahe’s Astronomy.

Tycho Brahe died in Prague on October 24, 1601, after becoming ill at an extensive feast. Much speculation arose as to the cause of his death, and this remained a mystery for many years. Here is an image of his published obituary:                    

The images above are presented courtesy of the University of Oklahoma Library.

Index to Mathematical Treasures