What Really Caused the Mysterious Death of Astronomer Tycho Brahe?

What do we know about him? He learned Latin when he was just seven years old, started studying at the University of Copenhagen at the age of thirteen, and witnessed his first solar eclipse in 1560, which is said to have shaped his future career in astronomy. Despite believing that Earth was the center of the universe, he was known as a remarkable astronomer and was considered one of the best and most precise in history—even without a telescope, which Galileo wouldn’t invent until eight years after his death.

The Man with the Golden Nose – the Danish astronomer who changed the course of astronomy

What is not accurate? For starters, his name. He was born on December 14, 1546 at Knudstrup farm in the region of Skåne in southern Sweden, which was then under Danish control, and his parents named him Tyge Ottesen Brahe. However, over time, his first name changed from Tyge to Tycho or sometimes Tychon. As for the last name Brahe? That is also misleading; even though he came from a noble family, the usage of “de” in noble names was not common in Denmark.

What is true is that he lost the tip of his nose in a duel with another Danish student. Starting at age 20, he wore a specially made nose prosthesis, which was said to be crafted from silver and gold. He is also thought to have created a unique adhesive to attach his nose to his face. According to some historians, he might have had multiple prostheses that he changed according to different events. In any case, his shiny metal nose was the first thing people noticed about him—and centuries later, it played a key role in identifying his remains found in the crypt of Týn Cathedral in Prague.

Scholar of the Rudolphine era and time spent at the court of Emperor Rudolf II.

Tycho Brahe certainly had no complaints about the lack of interest from the powerful; in Denmark, King Frederick II. built the Arx Uraniae or Uranienborg Observatory on the island Hven, where he worked for two decades. His time in the Czech lands was relatively brief; In 1597 he fell out with the new king Christian IV, traveled around Europe, and two years later, Rudolf II. invited him to Prague, where he served as Imperial Astrologer for the next two years.

The Emperor provided him accommodations and research facilities in three different castles: Lysá nad Labem, Brandýs nad Labem, and Venice nad Jizerou. Tycho Brahe decided to stay in Venice; on the upper floor, he had a study where he even established what is known as the meridian of Venice. When visiting the castle museum, you can experience being an astronomer and see the meridian marked on the floor yourself, and be sure not to miss the Museum of Historical Toys.

The astronomer’s death and his legacy

Tycho Brahe passed away on 24 October 1601 in his home in Pohořelec, Prague. His unexpected death led to numerous myths developing around it. One story suggests that during a feast held by Peter Vok of Rožmberk, he could not leave the table due to etiquette and held his urine for so long that it made him sick. Another theory proposes that he became ill not at a feast, but while watching a significant celestial event. A third theory speculates he was poisoned, while a fourth suggests that excessive indulgence led to his death.

After 2010, specialists examined the tomb of the famous astronomer and his wife Christina in Týn Cathedral, helping to solve the mystery. It turned out he wasn’t poisoned; the mercury levels in his system were too low to be harmful. Experts tend to believe he suffered from acute kidney inflammation, matching the symptoms described by those who witnessed his last days. In addition to the remains, several intriguing items were also uncovered in the tomb, such as leather-covered prayer book bindings that belonged to Christina Brahe, small beads from the rosary, and fragments of the astronomer’s burial attire, adding to the collection that was last recovered in 1901.

His contributions marked a critical transition from medieval to modern astronomy. His emphasis on precision, systematic approaches, and empirical observations had a profound impact on the future of scientific development.