Poisonous or overdose? Tomb is opened to solve the mystery of the death of Tycho Brahe astronomer 16th century astronomer

Danish astronomer in the 16th centuryTycho Brahe(1546-1601) left the astronomical observation record, the disciples'Johannes Kepler(1571 - 1630)Kepler's lawAlthough it became the basis to clarify, the alleged death has been alleged for many years.

He died suddenly before summarizing the huge observation record that he was keenly treasured by stolen things, that Kepler inherited the observation record at once through multiplication due to post-mortem death, opened a grave in 1901 From a corpse with an examinationmercuryThe possibility of poisoning by Kepler was also reported, but the other day, the team of scientists in Denmark, the Czech Republic and Sweden returned the body again to investigate the cause of death It is said that it was.

Details are as below.Astronomer Tycho Brahe's Remains Exhumed Again For Autopsy | AHN

Tycho Brahe was born in Denmark's leading aristocratic family in 1546 and was once said to own 1% of Denmark's property. Since 1599Holy Roman EmpireEmperorRudolph IIAs an Imperial mathematics officer with the Imperial FamilyPragueI lived in. In this Prague era that invited Kepler as an assistant, Brahe who was admired by Kepler's insight and theoretical concepts did not allow reproduction of the astronomical observation record that most of us could not show it, but only to Kepler He seems to have let me browse relatively freely.

A statue of Brahe and Kepler in Prague.


Prague was also the last place, the grave of Brahe is still in the old town of PragueChurch of Our Lady before TýnIt is in


Tycho Brahe, who observed and recorded over 1,000 stars in his lifetime, died in 1601, 54 years old. According to Kepler 's story, Brahe, who had been chairman of the emperor' s dinner party on October 3, refused to stand on the toilet because he felt urine but was disrespectful, and when he got home he was a little painful The amount of urination could only be withdrawn. It was said that the bladder ruptured and died on October 14th after 11 days after that, the doctor at the time was the cause of deathUrinary stoneAs I was watching it, since a stone was not discovered from the body with a postmortem exam held in 1901, the cause of death was recentlyUremiaThe theory that was mainstream.

However, in the 1901 surveillance whose official record was not left, the theory that it was poisoned by Kepler as a high concentration of mercury was detected from the beard's hair and hair, and the theory of King DenmarkChristian IVIt was assassinated by the direction of (Christian IV's motherSophie · von · MecklenburgThere is also persistent theory that it is said that he was in close contact with Brahe).

there,Aarhus UniversityThe collaborative team of Danish · Czech · Swedish scientists led by Professor Jens Vellev, an archaeologist specializing in the Middle Ages, will again verify the cause of Brahe's death. The team opened the grave of Brahe on November 15, 2010 (Monday), collected the body which was put in a can of the size of the child after the inspection in 1901,CT scanYaParticle-induced X-ray analysis, By neutron irradiationActivation analysisThe amount of mercury is measured, and the amount of mercury-containing analgesicOverdoseIt is planned to verify whether he died or was poisoned. The survey results are likely to be apparent next year.

Tomb of Tycho Brahe. It is a new tombstone made when it was buried again after the inspection in 1901.

ByRobert Scarth

Just before the death, Brahe who became delirious repeatedly said, "I do not want to think that it was a wasteful life", Kepler said "Rudolph table"(Astronomical table created with the rendition of Rudolph II)CopernicusIt is said that he wanted it to be based on the system of Brahe himself, not the system of Brae himself.

After the death of Brahe, Kepler took the position of the imperial mathematics officer with imperial as replacement and found out based on the observation record of Brazier's Mars, Kepler's first law (elliptical orbital law) and second law (constant law of area velocity ) In 1609 "New astronomy"In 1619 the third law (the square of the revolution cycle of the planet is proportional to the cube of the long radius of the orbit) as"Harmony of the world"And in 1623 completed the" Rudolph table ".

A world map contained in the "Rudolph table". "Rudolph table"PtolemyBased on the system of "Alphonso astronomical tableAndCopernicusBased on the system ofErasmus Lineholdtof"Prussian tableIn place of ", it will be widely used.


Although "Rudolph table" completed in 1623, troubles with relatives of Brahe who claimed rights as heirs,Thirty Year WarDue to confusion, publication had to wait 1627 years. Since Rudolph II died in 1612, the emperor at the time of publicationFerdinand IIAlthough it is dedicated to, the name of the star table remains "Rudolph table".


On the cover of "Rudolph table"HipparchusYaCopernicus,PtolemyTycho Brahe (center right) is drawn. On the map at the center of the pedestal underneath, there was an observatory of Brahe on the mapVen Islandis.


Brae said that "I want to leave a name in history" was the last wish, but its name is engraved firmly in the history of astronomy, besides the crater of the moon "Tycho"Martian crater"Tycho BraheIt is also becoming the name of.