Tycho Brahe: Mapping the Heavens (Great Scientists)

Boerst, William J.

3.83

12 ratings by Goodreads

9781883846978: Tycho Brahe: Mapping the Heavens (Great Scientists)

ISBN 10: 1883846978 ISBN 13: 9781883846978

Publisher: Morgan Reynolds Pub, 2003

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Presents the life and work of the famous sixteenth-century Danish astronomer.

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From School Library Journal:

Grade 6-9-Scion of a noble Danish family, Brahe combined a passion for accurate observations of the position and motions of heavenly objects with the wealth to do the job right. He is portrayed as a demanding, secretive, temperamental genius-a colorful character who wore an artificial nose (having lost his original one in a duel), and whose interest in physical astronomy was sparked by irritation over the inaccuracies of the planetary tables of Ptolemy and Copernicus. Traveling from one royal patron to another, Brahe built state-of-the-art observatories, amassing the data that later allowed Johannes Kepler, his most brilliant protege, to develop a heliocentric model of the solar system, and to formulate the Laws of Planetary Motion. Boerst describes how quadrants, armillaries, and other scientific instruments of the day were actually used, as well as Brahe's private life and career, in some detail, then appends lists of books and Web sites for readers who want to know more about this quirky, seminal figure. A generous selection of prints and drawings, many contemporary and some in color, brings the man and his achievements to life even more successfully than Mary Gow's Tycho Brahe: Astronomer (Enslow, 2002). This book will effectively raise the profile of a researcher whose significant contributions to the history of science are often lost in the glow surrounding those of Kepler and Galileo.
John Peters, New York Public Library
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist:

Gr. 6-9. Though perhaps best remembered by students as the astronomer who wore a silver and gold nose after losing most of his own during a sword fight, Brahe deserves a more auspicious place in science history. Born in Denmark in 1546, he had the determination and the resources to assemble a remarkable collection of state-of-the-art (pre-telescope) astronomical instruments, closely observe positions of the stars and planets, and record a vast amount of detailed, accurate data about them. Boerst provides a clearly written account of Brahe's education, background, personality, and career. Full-color illustrations, including many reproductions of period portraits and other artwork, appear throughout the book. Brahe emerges as a colorful figure who, though sometimes mistaken in his conclusions, did remarkable and significant work for his time. The volume concludes with a time line, source notes, and lists of books and Web sites. A note to children's book trivia fans: Eleanor Cameron named scientist Tycho Bass of the Mushroom Planet books for Tycho Brahe. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright � American Library Association. All rights reserved

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