26 Facts About Sophia Brahe

Sophia Brahe worked alongside her brother Tycho Brahe in making astronomical observations.

Sophia Brahe was born in Knudstrup Castle, Denmark as the youngest of ten children, to Otte Brahe, the rigsrad, or advisor, to the King of Denmark; and Beate Bille Brahe, leader of the royal household for Queen Sophie.

Sophia Brahe married Otto Thott in 1579, when he was 33 and she was at least twenty, though possibly older.

Sophia Brahe was particularly interested in studying chemistry and medicine according to Paracelsus, in which small doses of poison might serve as strong medicines, and used her skills to treat the local poor.

Sophia Brahe continued to be a frequent visitor at Uranienborg where she met Erik Lange, a nobleman who studied alchemy and a friend of Tycho's.

Sophia Brahe was especially fixated on producing gold, which led to his monetary problems.

In 1590, Sophia Brahe took 13 visits to Uranienborg and became engaged to Lange.

Sophia Brahe expressed anger with her family for not accepting her science studies, and for depriving her of money owed to her.

Sophia Brahe was often ridiculed and avoided due to her personal life and marriage.

Sophia Brahe personally financed the restoration of the local church, Ivetofta Kyrka.

Sophia Brahe planned to be buried there, and the lid for her unused sarcophagus remains in the church's armory.

Sophia Brahe spent her last years writing up the genealogy of Danish noble families, publishing the first major version in 1626.

Sophia Brahe's work is still considered a major source for early history of Danish nobility.

Currently, a stone setting marks the outlines of the Thott chapel, while the tombstone for Sophie Sophia Brahe is still standing on the site.

Undeterred, Sophia Brahe learned astronomy on her own, studying books in German, and having Latin books translated with her own money so that she could read them as well.

Much of Tycho's apprehension about Sophia Brahe's learning actually did not come from concerns about her ability to perform astronomical observations.

Sophia Brahe frequently visited Uranienborg, Tycho's observatory on the then-Danish island of Hveen.

Sophia Brahe's assistance was instrumental in Tycho's work on orbits, which was foundational to the modern methods used to predict the positions of the planets.

Tycho's studies of orbits involved the most precise measurements of the planets' movements made prior to the invention of the telescope, and while Tycho created many of the astronomical devices used to conduct the measurements, Sophia Brahe was among the assistants who actually made the measurements.

Tycho did have other assistants and while Sophia Brahe was present for each of these discoveries, the extent to which she contributed personally is unknown.

Peder Resen, the publisher of "Urania Titani", thought that Sophia Brahe was the author due to her role as the narrator.

Therefore, the likelihood that Sophia Brahe knew of this type of poem is slim compared to her brother.

Sophia Brahe is depicted as longing for her husband while he was studying alchemy abroad.

Sophia Brahe included anecdotes from her family and rarely placed her own comments within her works.

Sophia Brahe's work was common among women during her time, as women were valued for their penmanship and ability to maintain their households.

Sophia Brahe worked closely with her brother in his scientific endeavors and is thought to have acted as his muse.