Brahe's description of Uraniborg, ff. 42v - 43r

DESIGN OF STJERNEBORG, LOCATED OUTSIDE URANIBORG

NB The drawings on f. 42v correspond to the descriptions on f. 43r and should be read together.

DESCRIPTION OF STJERNEBORG (f. 43r)

Although the southern and northern towers of the main building of the castle with their additions on both sides might be sufficient for a suitable placing of a fair number of instruments, even if large, I did not, however, content myself with this. For as I for certain reasons had still more manufactured, which could not very well find room here, so that each of them could be used without getting in the way of another, I had later, about the year 1584, on a hill outside the castle situated about seventy small passus south of the wall, with no small difficulty and expenditure a subterranean observatory with various cellars built, erected from bottom to top of solid masonry.

My purpose was partly to have placed some of the most important instruments securely and firmly in order that they should not be exposed to the disturbing influence of the wind, and should be easier to use, partly to separate my collaborators when there were several with me at the same time, and have some of them make observations in the castle itself, others in these cellars, in order that they should not get in the way of each other or compare their observations before I wanted this. I called this observatory in Danish Stiernburg, nearly the same name as also used by the Germans, while in Latin it is called Stellæburgum. You see here a picture of its exterior together with its ground­plan, and they are explained in few words, as follows: A. A portal according to the Ionic order giving admission to the cellars of this observatory. On top of it there are three crowned lions elaborately sculptured, and on both sides there are some, porphyry stones with suitable inscriptions included in vol. I of the Astronomical Letters, where this subterranean observatory is mentioned; but it would be too lengthy to repeat them here. Still, I shall quote the one found on the back because it is of a fairly general character. B. A round chequered ceiling above the heatinginstallation, to which one is admitted from all directions from the cellars. C. A cellar for the placing of the largest equatorial armillae delineated sub no. 14. D. A cellar for the large quadrant, called the revolving one, which is described sub no. 6. E. A cellar for the zodiacal armillae explained sub no. 11. F. A cellar for the large steel quadrant inscribed in a square, denoted as no. 7. G. A cellar for the four­cubit sextant on its support and its revolving globe which is shown sub no. 16. So much for the cellars. But the above­mentioned inscription [Opera Omnia VI, p. 272 f.], which is written in gold letters on a porphyry stone on the southern back of the portal, runs as follows:

"Consecrated to the all­good, great God and Posterity. Tycho Brahe, Son of Otto, who realized that Astronomy, the oldest and most distinguished of all sciences, had indeed been studied for a long time and to a great extent, but still had not obtained sufficient firmness or had been purified of errors, in order to reform it and raise it to perfection, invented and with incredible labour, industry, and expenditure constructed various exact instruments suitable for all kinds of observations of the celestial bodies, and placed them partly in the neighbouring castle of Uraniborg, which was built for the same purpose, partly in these subterranean rooms for a more constant and useful application, and recommending, hallowing, and consecrating this very rare and costly treasure to you, you glorious Posterity, who will live for ever and ever, he, who has both begun and finished everything on this island, after erecting this monument, beseeches and adjures you that in honour of the eternal God, creator of the wonderful clockwork of the heavens, and for the propagation of the divine science and for the celebrity of the fatherland, you will constantly preserve it and not let it decay with old age or any other injury or be removed to any other place or in any way be molested, if for no other reason, at any rate out of reverence to the creator's eye, which watches over the universe.Greetings to you who read this and act accordingly. Farewell!"

Outside the premises of this Stjerneborg some stone columns H.I. have been placed on each side, facing east and west; on these the Ptolemaic rulers may be placed, and if necessary, they can carry the small transportable armillae. K.L.N.O. are globes resting on their supports and now and then placed on the site mentioned in order that sextants may be placed on them when stars, in any place, are to be sighted. M. A round stone table intended, if required, for supporting the transportable quadrant and other minor instruments, that observations with these may be convenient. A clear­sighted and competent observer will easily discover the rest.

EXPLANATION OF THE GROUND­PLAN

A. A vestibule leading to a staircase giving admission to the observatory. B. A square heating installation. C. Cellar for the largest equatorial armillae. D. For therevolving quadrant. E. For the zodiacal armillae. F. For the large steel quadrant inscribed in a geometrical square, which is also made of steel. G. For the four-cubit sextant, which rests on its revolving globe. H.H. Some stone columns placed on the western side. I.I. Other stone columns facing east. K.L.N.T. Some globes placed outside to support the astronomical sextants. M. A round stone table. O. A bed on which I could sometimes be allowed to rest during the observations when accidentally there were clouds and we could not enjoy a constant clearness of the sky. Q. Another similar one, but more spacious, which might in the same way be used by my assistants. P. A stove. V. A table. S. Entrance to the subterranean passage which I had intended to have excavated under the wall and the garden, so that it might at some time lead into the castle and the chemical laboratory. For it has been commenced, but is not yet finished. The outer premises, including the gallery, on each side of their square facing the four points of the sky, measure 70 feet ; but the diameter of the semicircles found on the middle of the sides is 24 feet. In the two corners of this square area facing the south­east and the south­west there are some practically arranged cases, in which the large semicircular instruments with which stellar distances comprising more than one fourth of the circumference of the heavens are measured, and which are not depicted together with the other instruments, but only mentioned briefly after these, were carefully stored, as, besides, also some sextants and other transportable instruments, which need not be in constant use; and I had likewise decided later to place some in the north­east and the north­west corner. So much in brief about these subterranean buildings. If I should explain everything in detail, a very lengthy description would be required. But as to the poems which we have had inscribed in gold letters on both sides in the subterranean rooms, the same volume I of the letters offers information [Opera Omnia VI, p. 274 f.], and hence it will not be worth while repeating them in this place.

So much for the astronomical buildings. Although I had not intended in this place to mention the island in the busy thoroughfare of the Danish Sound, where we erected these buildings, I have thought that, as I have mentioned a highly situated and solitary place, and as this island has already previously been described by the illustrious GEORG BRAUN in the fourth volume of his Theatrum urbiumi, though indeed the presentation was not very true because of the negligence of the draughtsman, I therefore ought to describe it here with a somewhat greater accuracy.