Uraniborg (Observatory)
Uraniborg
1576 AD - 1590 AD
Danish astronomical observatory and alchemy laboratory conceived and used by Tycho Brahe
From an archived version of tychobrahe.com we learn:
- Uraniborg was surrounded by 5.5-meter high walls, 75 meters in square. The corners were very accurately orientated in the north-south and east-west directions. The building was in the centre of a circular place, and the space between this and the outer walls was occupied by a garden of Tycho's own design.
- The inner garden had a strict geometric layout, and there were cultivated flowers and in particular herbs for medical and household purposes. The outer garden consisted of fruit trees.
- Since Uraniborg itself was aligned exactly north-south, the fine alignment of the quadrant and the stability of the alignment were greatly simplified. With an almost 2 meter radius of the brass arc, combined with Tycho's innovative aiming device and the transversally graded scales, the instrument had a resolution of a sixth of an arc minute, i.e. 10 arc seconds. This is the absolute limit for visual readings
- The laboratory in the basement was very well equipped. There were 16furnaces for chemical, medical and alchemical experiments. Some of the furnaces were connected to distillers whose cooling pipes went out of the windows and back into the laboratory. Tycho largely held the results secret, but we know that he spent most of the time developing medicines.
Events (2)
for
Attachments
Uraniborg main building from the 1663 Blaeu's Atlas Major
Brahe's mural quadrant The quadrant (radius c. 194cm) was made from brass and was affixed to a wall that was oriented precisely north-south. The observer (right) views a star through the opposite opening (upper left) to determine the star's altitude as it passes through the meridian. An assistant (lower right) reads the time off a clock and another one (lower left) records the measurements. The area above the quadrant is filled with a mural painting showing several other of Brahe's instruments. See Brahe's description.
alchemy
astronomy







