Uraniborg

Uraniborg (Danish: Uranienborg, Swedish: Uraniborg) was a Danish astronomical observatory and alchemical laboratory established and operated by Tycho Brahe. It was built c. 1576 – c. 1580 on Hven, an island in the Øresund between Zealand and Scania, which at that time was part of Denmark. Shortly after its construction, the observatory was expanded with an underground facility, Stjerneborg, on an adjacent site.

Tycho abandoned Uranienborg and Stjerneborg in 1597 after he fell out of favor with the Danish king, and he left the country. The institution was destroyed in 1601 after Tycho's death. Hven was later lost to Sweden. The Round Tower in Copenhagen was inaugurated in 1642 as a replacement for Uraniborg's astronomical functions. Uraniborg's grounds are currently being restored.

History

The building was dedicated to Urania, the Muse of Astronomy, and it was named Uraniborg, "The Castle of Urania." It was the first custom-built observatory in modern Europe, though not the last to be built without a telescope as its primary instrument. The cornerstone was laid on August 8, 1576.