Map of Hven

Description:

Tycho Brahe, the pre-eminent astronomical observer of the 16th century, established an observatory on the Danish island of Hven in the 1570s. This copper engraved map of that island was printed in 1586, and included in the 4th volume of Georg Braun and Franz Hogenberg, Civitates Orbis Terrarum (Cologne, 1594). The original was drawn a few years earlier either by Brahe or under his supervision.

Here, West is at top. The inset at top left shows the façade and a floor plan of Brahe’s castle, Uraniborg. The inset at top right shows Uraniborg in its walled Renaissance garden. The inset at bottom right shows Brahe’s large quadrant and his large equatorial armillary sphere; the legend below names various features on the map. Stjernborg, Brahe’s newer observatory, is identified but not yet named. The text in the inset at bottom left reads: “Topographia Insulae Huenae in celebri porthmo Regni Daniae, quem Vulgo Oer: sunt vocant. Effigiata Coloniae 1586.”

Ref: Michael Jones, “Tycho Brahe (Tyge Ottesen Brahe) 1546-1601,” Geographers Bibliographical Studies 27 (2008): no pagination.