Sophia Brahe

Sophia (or Sophie) Thott Lange (née Brahe; 24 August 1559 or 22 September 1556[1] – 1643), known by her maiden name, was a Danish noblewoman and horticulturalist with knowledge of astronomy, chemistry, and medicine.

Upon her husband's death, Sophie Thott managed his property in Eriksholm (today Trolleholm Castle[5]), running the estate to keep it profitable until her son came of age.

However, women were often not entitled to receive a college degree, the lack of which prevented her from practicing medicine as a legitimate physician.

On 21 July 1587, King Frederick II of Denmark signed a document transferring to Sophia Brahe the title of Årup farm in what is now Sweden.

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

Since Lange used up most of his fortune with alchemy experiments, their marriage was delayed some years while he avoided his creditors and traveled to Germany to try to find patrons for his work.

Tycho Brahe wrote the Latin epic poem "Urania Titani" during the couple's separation, expressed as a letter from his sister Sophia to her fiancé in 1594.

Sophie wrote a long letter to her sister Margrethe Brahe, describing having to wear stockings with holes in them for her wedding.

[11] She spent her last years writing up the genealogy of Danish noble families, publishing the first major version in 1626 (there were later additions).

Her work is still considered a major source for early history of Danish nobility (Det Kongelige Bibliotek).

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

[12][13] Later in both of their careers, Tycho began to discourage her from continuing her research into astronomy because he believed it to be too complex for the talents of a woman.

The discovery of SN 1572 was especially significant in that it added to the growing body of evidence that seemed to refute the geocentric model of the universe.

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

[18][page needed][failed verification] Much of the data that was gathered throughout Tycho's life was passed down to his pupil, Johannes Kepler, rather than his sister, Sophia Brahe.

[18][page needed] It can be said that the work that Sophia Brahe assisted her brother in laid the groundwork for Sir Isaac Newton.

[20] "Urania Titani" was a six-hundred-line poem written in February 1594 about a fictional love correspondence between Sophia and Erik.

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

"Urania Titani" contains a love story and descriptions of Sophie, Tycho, and Erik's horoscopes, which helps historians narrow down their correct birthdates.

[26] In Sophia's renditions of her family book she included letters and correspondence with other women concerning their interwoven heritage and possible relatives.

The two were so close that poet Johan L. Heiberg admonished that "Denmark must never forget the noble woman who, in spirit much more than flesh and blood, was Tycho Brahe's sister; the shining star in our Danish heaven is indeed a double one.

A woodcut image of Tycho Brahe's Uranienborg observatory