4o6 



NATURE 



{March 8, 1877 



of Jupiter, and was visible at noonday. It then slowly 

 declined, and finally disappeared in March, 1574. It is 

 curious that in the years 945 and 1264 something similar 

 was observed in Cassiopeia, so that in fact the star 

 observed by Tycho Brahe may be a variable one of long 

 period, and if so may be expected to reappear about 

 the year 1885. The colour of this star, moreover, 



changed ; it was at first white, then yellowish, then red- 

 dish ; afterwards bluish, like Saturn, getting duller and 

 duller as it decreased in apparent size. After much 

 persuasion Tycho, in 1572, published an account of 

 his observations on the new star in a work " De Nova 

 Stella." 

 Tycho still further offended his relations by marrying a 



Portrait of Tycho Brahd (from original paialing in possession of Dr. Cromptou, of Manchester). 



« 



peasant girl in 1573, and shortly after, at the request of the 

 King of Denmark, delivered a course of lectures on astro- 

 nomy both in its observational and astrologica.1 aspects, for 

 in astrology he still continued to believe. After travelling 

 in Germany and Svvitzerland ia 1575, Tycho returned to 

 Denmark and received from the King, Frederick II., an 

 offer which ought to immortalise the name of that mo- 

 narch. Ttie King seems always really to have admired 



the astronomer and estimated highly the pursuits to 

 which he had devoted his life, and now realized it to be 

 his duty, as head of the state, to put the man of science 

 in the most favourable position to carry on researches 

 which were then, as now, essentially unremunerative. In 

 fact, in Frederick's treatment of Tycho Brahd we have 

 an early and munificent, and in its results most successful, 

 instance of the endowment of research. 



