1-148-993 - Oxford Science Archive/Heritage Images

Tycho Brahe, Danish astronomer, c1586. Plate from Opera Onmia (Vol IV, written in 1586, Unraniborg, Denmark] by Tycho Brahe. Considered to be the greatest pre-telescope observer, Brahe's contributions to astronomy were enormous. Not only did he revolutionise astronomical instrumentation, by emphasising the importance of accuracy for the first time, but also profoundly changed observational practice. He was the first to observe the orbits of the moon and planets, and the first to make corrections for atmospheric refraction.