Tycho Brahe

Astronomical observations

Early Modern influential 104 sayings

Sayings by Tycho Brahe

I trust my instruments more than I trust the pronouncements of men.

late 16th century — Emphasizing empirical evidence over traditional authority.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The pursuit of knowledge is an endless journey.

late 16th century — A philosophical statement about the nature of scientific inquiry.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I have sought to bring order to the celestial chaos.

late 16th century — Describing his efforts to systematize astronomical observations and models.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

To measure is to know.

late 16th century — A succinct statement of his quantitative approach to astronomy.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I have been driven by an insatiable curiosity.

late 16th century — A personal reflection on his motivation.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The stars are a language, and I am learning to read it.

late 16th century — A poetic way of describing his astronomical studies.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

My observations are my legacy.

late 16th century — A statement about the enduring value of his work.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I have wrestled with the heavens, and I have found joy in the struggle.

late 16th century — Expressing the intellectual challenge and satisfaction of his work.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The universe is far more complex and wondrous than we can imagine.

late 16th century — A statement of awe and wonder inspired by his astronomical discoveries.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I concluded that this new star was not any kind of comet or fiery meteor... but that it is a star shining in the firmament itself—one that has never previously been seen before our time.

1573 — Observation of the supernova SN 1572
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

Let me not seem to have lived in vain.

1601 — On his deathbed
Strange & Unusual Confirmed

I have studied all available charts of the planets and stars and none of them match the others. There are just as many measurements as there are astronomers and all of them disagree.

1570s — Criticizing the inaccuracies of contemporary astronomy
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

My nose was cut off in a duel with Manderup Parsbjerg, so I had a prosthetic made of gold and silver.

1566 — Explaining his famous metal nose
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The heavens are changeable, I know, but the Earth is stable and immovable.

1588 — Defending his geo-heliocentric model
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I have a tame elk, but it died after drinking too much beer at a banquet.

1590s — Describing his eccentric pet
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The stars are not eternal; they can be born and die.

1573 — Challenging Aristotelian cosmology
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I will not be bound by the authority of the ancients, but by the observations of my own eyes.

1580s — On empirical science
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The comet of 1577 was not an atmospheric phenomenon, but a celestial body beyond the Moon.

1577 — Disproving Aristotle's theory of comets
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

My island of Hven is a paradise for astronomers.

1580s — Describing Uraniborg, his observatory
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The peasants are like animals; they understand nothing but the whip.

1580s — Alleged statement regarding his treatment of tenants on his estate.
Controversial Unverifiable