| Tycho Brahe, a Danish astronomer was the first person to
estimate how far comets were. A bright comet which appeared in 1577 was seen through out
Europe. Tycho Brahe decided to estimate whether this comet was closer to the earth than
the moon. He measured the direction of the comet from his observatory in Hveen and
compared with observations of other European astronomers, made at the same time. The
answer he obtained astounded the scientific community. The comet was atleast four times
further away than the moon ! This was completely contrary to beliefs based on
Aristotle’s pronouncements. But one good observation is worth many pronouncements !
This and other meticulous observations by Tycho Brahe changed the course of astronomy. |
Tycho Brahe
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