Tycho and Kepler
Page 36
1. LEGACIES
For much of the information in the early chapters of this book I am indebted to Victor Thoren, whose Lord of Uraniborg (1990) superseded Dreyer’s 1890 book Tycho Brahe: A Picture of Scientific Life and Work in the Sixteenth Century as the definitive biography of Tycho Brahe. Tycho provided an autobiographical summary in his Mechanica, 106 ff; and Christianson has done a splendid job of recreating Tycho’s youth in Cloister and Observatory: Herrevad Abbey and Tycho Brahe’s Uraniborg.
1 “without the knowledge”: The quotation and Tycho’s telling of the incident are from Mechanica, 106.
2 “was sent to grammar school”: Ibid.
3 where Tyge lodged: For Thoren’s speculation on this subject see Thoren 1990, 9–10.
4 grounded in the “liberal arts”: On Philippist university curriculum, see ibid., 11.
2. ARISTOCRAT BY BIRTH, ASTRONOMER BY NATURE
1 chose the University of Leipzig: Tycho reported the move to Leipzig in Mechanica, 106, but placed it two years earlier and said nothing about the previous three years in Copenhagen.
2 “bought astronomical books” and following quotations: Mechanica, 107. Pages 107, 108 are Tycho’s account of his early attempts in astronomy.
3 “rectify this sorry state of affairs”: Thoren 1990, 17.
4 cross staff, or radius: Mechanica, 108.
5 “stayed awake the whole night”: Ibid.
6 “had no opportunity”: Ibid.
7 each demanding that the other draw his sword: The story of the duel was passed down by word of mouth over the next hundred years and finally written down by one Jacob Stolterfoht, a Lutheran clergyman who was the grandson of the woman who knew Danish. See Thoren 1990, 23. Tycho’s own mention of the duel story is in TBDOO, 1:135–36.
8 Tycho’s first biographer: Thoren 1990, 25/Gassendi, 10:209.
9 a new pair of compasses: Mechanica, 80–83.
10 “placing the vertex”: Ibid., 107.
11 The quadrans maximus: Ibid., 88–91.
12 Ramus, in his next book: Petrus Ramus, Defensio pro Aristotele adversus Iac. Schecium (Lausanne, 1571).
13 “He dwells on earth”: TBDOO, 9:173/Thoren 1990, 45.
3. BEHAVIOR UNBECOMING A NOBLEMAN
1 complicated system of reciprocity: For the feudal system in Denmark, see Christianson 2000, 25–26. Christianson has brought together from many sources, including Scandinavian ones (see his bibliography), information about life in sixteenth-century Denmark with which he has been able to flesh out the sometimes scarce biographical information about Tycho.
2 Herrevad Abbey: The description of Herrevad and its background come from my own visit there, and from a thorough background and description of what it was like in Tycho’s time, including much information about Steen Bille, in Christianson 1964.
3 “Verily, there did once”: See Christianson 1964, 43.
4 Kirsten Jørgensdatter: For discussion of and speculation about her see Thoren 1990, 45–48, and Christianson 2000, 10–14. When I visited Knutstorp in 2000, I found the conviction still strong in the community that Kirsten had been the pastor’s daughter.
5 “a woman of the people”: Gassendi/Thoren 1990, 45
6 “I knew perfectly well”: De Stella Nova, TBDOO, 1:16/Christianson 1964, 122. The full title of the 1573 book, best known as De Stella Nova, in which Tycho described the event was (translated into English) Mathematical Contemplation of Tycho Brahe of Denmark on the New and Never Previously Seen Star First Observed in the Month of November in the Year of Our Lord 1572.
7 “I doubted no longer”: De Stella Nova, TBDOO 1:18/Christianson 1964, 123.
8 “Let all philosophers”: Ibid.
9 turned the sextant around: Mechanica, 84–87.
10 an “oration”: The oration is in TBDOO, vol. 1.
11 De Stella Nova: Ibid.
12 Johannes Kepler wrote: Thoren 1990,72.
13 Baade concluded: see Astrophysical Journal 102 (1945): 309.
14 Radio astronomers: see J. E. Baldwin and D. O. Edge, “Radio Emission from the Remnants of the Supernovae of 1572 and 1604,” The Observatory 77 (1957): 139ff; and F. R. Stephenson and D. H. Clark, “The Location of the Supernova of A.D. 1572,” Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society 18 (1977): 340ff.
4. HAVING THE BEST OF SEVERAL UNIVERSES
1 One copy of the invitation still survives: see Thoren 1990, 57, including footnote.
2 “I myself cannot”: TBDOO, 1:131–32/Thoren 1990, 75.
3 an elegant new quadrant: Mechanica, 12–15.
4 “there is something in man,” and other quotations from Tycho’s lecture: TBDOO, 1:163/Thoren 1990, 83.
5 “When I heard”: Ibid., 171–72/84.
6 “according to the models,” “adapted to the stability”: Ibid. 172–73/85–86.
7 “the motions of the planets”: Ibid. 172–73/85.
8 Tycho decided he would . . . settle in Basel: Mechanica, 108.
9 “I did not want to take”: Tycho to Pratensis, mid-February, 1576/Christianson 1964, 130.
10 “Hear now”: Ibid.
5. THE ISLE OF HVEN
1 island of Hven: Tycho Brahe described the island and his palace-observatory in Mechanica, 121–40. I am also indebted to John Christianson (2000 and 1961). Christianson 2000 includes biographical information before and after the Uraniborg years and capsule biographies of the assistants who worked for Tycho at Uraniborg and later.
2 “free from the commotion”: TBDOO, volume 4/Christianson 1961, 120.
3 recounting tales: For the legends of Hven, see Christianson 2000, 112.
4 The village’s three great fields: Tycho described the topography of Hven and his later improvements to the island in Mechanica, 138–39.
5 The map is from a 1588 Atlas of European Cities. Tycho later included his own, more accurate map of Hven in Mechanica, 138.
6 “to have, enjoy” and “observe the law”: TBDOO, 14:5/Christianson 1961, 119.
7 Tycho’s house plan: The proportions of the structure are described by Thoren 1990, 109.
8 “pipes reaching”: Mechanica, 129.
9 a ceremony for putting it in place: Tycho described the ceremony in ibid., 130.
10 “consecrated with wines”: Ibid.; Tycho reprinted the inscription here.
11 “well-formed” and “over fond of”: The horoscope is in TBDOO, 1:183–208.
12 he saw an exceptionally bright star: Tycho’s description of seeing the comet is in ibid., 4:6.
6. WORLDS APART
Much of the information for this chapter comes from Kepler’s “Selbstcharakteristik” of 1597 and other material reprinted as “Heimat” in Schmidt. I am also indebted to Caspar 1948/93.
1 pointed out the bright star with a tail: Kepler told of seeing the comet with his mother in a letter, Kepler to Fabricius, July 4, 1603, JKGW, vol. 14, letter 262; and also in his “Selbstcharakteristik,” 1597, reprinted as “Heimat” in Schmidt, 220.
2 a noble family: Kepler told about his family’s past in a letter, Kepler to Bianchi, Feb. 17, 1619, JKGW, vol. 17, letter 827; in Schmidt, 218.
3 candid about his severely dysfunctional family: Kepler’s description of his relatives and himself is to be found in Frisch, 8:670–72; for his brothers and sister, 828–29 and 935–36; in Schmidt, 218, 219.
4 “His face” and other quotations: Frisch, 8:670–71; in Schmidt, 218.
5 a careful description: Tycho’s study of the comet and his report are in TBDOO, vol. 4.
6 “Pseudoprophets” and other quotations from Tycho’s report on the comet: TBDOO, 4:381–96/Thoren 1990, 130–31. Thoren has used a translation by Christianson.
7 He gathered all the observations: Tycho’s book about the comet, which he finished in 1588, is in TBDOO, vol. 4.
8 “There was nothing I could state”: “Selbstcharakteristik”; in Schmidt, 211.
7. A PALACE OBSERVATORY
1 “the winter dining room”: The information about
the dining room and dining customs, including the menu from another Brahe household, comes from Christianson 2000, 77–78. Christianson cites an early-twentieth-century Scandinavian historian, Troels Frederik Troels-Lund, an expert on daily life in that part of the world in the sixteenth century.
2 Beds were portable: The information about the beds was told me by Henrik Wachtmeister, the present owner of Knutstorps Borg.
3 “desks for the collaborators”: Tycho’s description of the house and garden is in Mechanica, 124–32.
4 “one mug after the other”: TBDOO, 7:327/Christianson 1964, 193.
5 “harmful, uncustomary”: Records of Tycho’s problems with the islanders, the king’s responses to Tycho and the peasants’ appeals are in TBDOO, vol. 14.
6 “like a mild father”: Quoted in Christianson 1964, 33.
7 “workshop for the artisans”: Mechanica, 139.
8 “people who shun”: Ibid., 53.
9 “medium-size azimuth quadrant of brass”: Ibid., 16–19.
10 “driven by necessity”: Ibid., 144; Tycho described these innovations on 141–144.
11 “By turning one single screw”: Ibid., 143.
8. ADELBERG, HAULBRONN, URANIBORG
1 “only those who were hostile” and the other quotations that follow: JKGW, 19:328–37; in Schmidt, 221.
2 a giant globe: Information about the globe is in Mechanica, 102–5.
3 “by inserting” and other quotations about the globe: Ibid.
4 built the great mural quadrant: Information about the mural quadrant is in ibid., 28–31.
5 “The likeness”: Ibid., 30.
6 “with no small difficulty” and “when accidentally”: Ibid., 135, 137.
7 Stjerneborg was far from strictly functional: Ibid., 134–37.
8 “great equatorial armillary”: Information about the armillary is in ibid., 64–67.
9 “the two values found”: Ibid., 67.
9. CONTRIVING IMMORTALITY
1 “Tychonic system of the world”: For a detailed description and simple explanation of Tycho’s system and its equivalence to Copernicus’s, see Kuhn, 202–4. For Tycho’s observational campaign to find the parallax of Mars, its connection with the Tychonic system, and Tycho’s series of letters about the parallax search, see Gingerich and Voelkel 1998 and Gingerich 1992, 251–56. The latter also tells about the Danish Tycho Brahe scholar John Louis Emil Dreyer.
2 “6:27 P.M.—a meridian altitude”: The sequence of observations that took place on March 10 and 11, 1587, is from Gingerich and Voelkel 1998, 17 and 21.
3 A chain of events began: Tycho’s description of this incident is translated in Rosen, 39–40. Rosen also reprints excerpts from the eyewitness account of Lange’s secretary, Michael Walther (Rosen, 250–53). Christianson’s retelling is in Christianson 2000, 89.
4 “four whole handfuls”: From Michael Walther’s account, reprinted in Rosen, 251, 252.
5 “an evil, scandalous life”: Christianson, 126, translating from a book by the nineteenth-century Danish church history scholar Holger Frederik Rørdam.
10. THE UNDERMINING OF THE HUMAN ENDEAVOR
1 “children of poor”: See Caspar 1993, 43.
2 “for better and more dignified”: JKGW, 19:316.
3 “Although [Kölin] once made friends”: Biographical material translated in Schmidt, 221.
4 “permanent repentance about lost time” and other quotes from Kepler about his work habits: Ibid., 211–13.
5 “I have by degrees”: Introduction to Mysterium; JKGW, 1:10.
6 the sphere of the stars symbolized Christ: The view of the universe with the Sun, the sphere of stars, and the area between representing Father, Son, and Holy Spirit was a favorite analogy for Kepler all his life. He mentioned it in chapter 2 of Mysterium, and much later he used it in book 4 of his Epitome Astronomiae Copernicanae (1618–1621); JKGW, vol. 7.
7 two formal academic debates: Kepler mentioned his debates in the introduction to Mysterium; JKGW, 1:9.
8 “Young Kepler”: JKGW, 13:4.
9 the third theological year: See Methuen.
10 “tougher than I actually”: Astronomia Nova, JKGW, 3:108/Caspar 1993, 51.
11 Rasmus Pedersen: The Pedersen story is told in detail in Christianson 2000, 332–35.
12 As Frobenius described events in his memoirs: Christianson has reprinted Frobenius’s account, in English translation, in Christianson 2000, 151–53.
11. YEARS OF DISCONTENT
1 a Rix: Correspondence around the Rix episode appears in TBDOO, 6:225–235; Tycho’s letter to Wilhelm expressing discontent is on 229.
2 wrote to his friends: For Tycho’s letters re the parallax search, see Gingerich and Voelkel 1998, 1, 3–4. Gingerich and Voelkel discuss Tycho’s parallax search, its outcome, and his motivation at length.
3 Kepler later examined Tycho’s observations of 1582: JKGW, 1:439–40; Astronomia Nova, Kepler, 1992, Donahue translation, 302.
4 arrangement of a marriage: The story of the wedding plans and their failure is told in detail in Christianson 2000, 171–90.
5 courtship and marriage customs: See ibid., 173ff. Christianson cites social historian Troels Frederik Troels-Lund.
6 Epistolae Astronomicae: Tycho completed this work in September 1596 and presented copies to the recently crowned King Christian and his chancellor.
7 “This dam and paper-mill”: The cornerstone with this inscription now resides at Knutstorps Borg.
12. GEOMETRY’S UNIVERSE
1 “foolish little daughter”: Kepler repeated the epithet frequently. See Gingerich 1973, 290.
2 “nourishing the superstition”: JKGW, 4:12.
3 “If God gave each animal”: Kepler to Mästlin, Dec. 8, 1597.
4 “I inscribed”: Introduction to Mysterium, JKGW, 1:11.
5 “The delight that I took”: Introduction to Mysterium, JKGW, 1:13.
6 Figure 12.1 is a redrawing of Kepler’s drawing in Mysterium.
7 “I pondered on this subject”: Ibid., 1:9.
8 the simple “naturalness” of the cosmos: See Gingerich 1973, 291.
9 “Almost the whole summer”: Introduction to Mysterium, JKGW, 1:11.
10 a man created in the image of God could comprehend the logic: Kepler voiced this conviction in a letter to Mästlin (Kepler to Mästlin, April 19, 1597) and later to von Hohenburg (Kepler to von Hohenburg, April 10, 1599). Both are quoted in Holton, 68, 69.
11 “Finally I came close”: Introduction to Mysterium, JKGW, 1:11.
12 “And behold, dear reader”: Ibid., 13.
13 “Behold, reader, the invention”: Ibid.
14 “To see whether this idea”: Ibid.
15 “polyhedral theory”: The letter was Kepler to Mästlin, Aug. 1595, JKGW, vol. 13.
16 “Just as I pledged myself to God”: Kepler to Mästlin, Oct. 1595, ibid., 40.
17 “lead to the ruin”: Mästlin to Kepler, Mar. 9, 1597, ibid., letter 60.
18 “What wonder then”: Introduction to Astronomia Nova, JKGW, vol. 3.
19 “a childish and fateful”: Kepler to Duke Friedrich, Feb. 17, 1596, JKGW, vol. 8, letter 43.
20 “with very good silk fleece”: Papius to Kepler, June 1596, ibid., letter 45.
21 “set [his] heart on fire”: Kepler to Fabricius, Oct. 1, 1602, JKGW, vol. 14, letter 226.
22 “My assets are such”: Kepler to Mästlin, April 9, 1597, JKGW, vol. 13, letter 64.
23 “It is certain”: Ibid.
13. DIVINE RIGHT AND EARTHLY MACHINATION
1 “see and learn”: Tycho, quoting King Frederick, in Brahe to Pratensis, mid-February 1576/Christianson 1964, 134.
2 “most of the larger problems”: Stephenson, 1994, 75.
3 “Seldom in history”: Gingerich 1973, 292.
4 Galileo wrote to Kepler: Galileo to Kepler, Aug. 4, 1597, JKGW, vol. 13, letter 73.
5 “would it not be better”: Kepler to Galileo, Oct. 13, 1597, ibid., letter 76.
7 “reviving the Platonic art”: Limnäus to Kepler, April 24, 1598, ibid., letter 96.
8 “specialist”: Ibid.
9 “The little knowledge . . . I love . . . take care: Kepler to Ursus, Nov. 15, 1595, JKGW, vol. 13, letter 26.
10 “most distinguished man”: Ursus to Kepler, May 29, 1597, ibid., 124/Rosen, 88.
11 “would have been beheaded”: TBDOO, 8:7.
12 “I wish he had been there”: Astronomia Nova, Kepler, Donahue translation, 1992.
14. CONVERGING PATHS
1 appeal to King Christian: TBDOO, 14:108–11. Dreyer has translated the entire letter, 243–45.
2 Duke Ulrich . . . agreed to intercede: The draft letter to Christian that Duke Ulrich sent Tycho is in TBDOO, 14:113, 114.
3 letter went to Lord Chancellor Erik Sparre: Brahe to Sparre, ibid., 119, 120/Thoren 1990, 380.
4 Tycho’s coach, drawn by six horses: Christianson 2000, 225. It is not clear precisely when Tycho acquired the horses.
5 “audaciously and not without”: Dreyer, 248–52/TBDOO, 14: 121–23. Dreyer includes the entire letter.
6 “No doubt the time will come”: TBDOO, 8:10/Thoren 1990, 381.
7 “Elegy to Denmark”: TBDOO, 13:101–4. It was copied into the volume containing the observations for 1596 and 1597. Dreyer, 254, gives a description of it but does not print it in its entirety.
8 “The whole German fatherland”: Archbishop Elector Ernest of Cologne to King Christian of Denmark, TBDOO, 14:140–41/Thoren 1990, 384.
9 “discern double-stars”: From Ursus’s De Astronomicis Hypothesibus. Quotations are Jardine’s translation; Jardine, 30–36.
10 “The bright glory”: Kepler to Ursus, Nov. 15, 1595, JKGW, vol. 13, letter 26.
11 “the prince of mathematicians”: Kepler to Brahe, Dec. 13, 1597, ibid., letter 82.
12 “That man [Kepler] has in every way”: From “Selbstcharakteristik”; in Schmidt, 217.
13 “He hurt me with his contempt”: Ibid.
14 “only better”: Kepler to Mästlin, March 15, 1598, JKGW, vol. 13, letter 89, ll. 180 ff.