Tycho Brahe (1546-1601) perhaps isn’t a household name.
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He was a Danish astronomer who died eight years before the much more famous Galileo first pointed a telescope into the night sky to open up astronomy at a whole new level.
However, despite his relative anonymity, Brahe’s contribution to astronomy is enormous.
Over many, many years Brahe recorded countless observations of the planets and stars as they moved across the night sky at various times of the year.
Over time, he built up a model of how our Solar System works to such a degree of accuracy that Galileo’s telescope and even contemporary technology has scarcely added to it.
No wonder that one of the prominent craters in the Moon is named after Tycho.
Tycho Brahe observed the subtle movements of heavenly bodies but we can follow in the great astronomer’s footsteps by watching a spectacular celestial ballet that is currently taking place in the western sky each evening.
Readers may have noticed two particularly bright planets, Venus and Jupiter in the west just after twilight.
At the beginning of this week, Venus and Jupiter appeared to almost touch each other.
Not quite as bright, Mercury is also nearby (although it will soon disappear in the twilight as it quickly moves in front of the Sun).
This Saturday evening, September 3, the three planets will be joined by a thin crescent Moon to put on an even more spectacular show.
At the same time, the planets Mars and Saturn will appear almost overhead.
Although not as prominent as Venus and Jupiter, Mars and Saturn are clearly visible.
Mars is particularly distinctive with its red-orange colour.
If you would like to learn more about the night sky you are welcome to the next meeting of the Central West Astronomical Society (CWAS), this Friday, September 2.
The CWAS meets at the Visitor Discovery Centre of the Parkes Radio Telescope (The Dish), off the Newell Highway approximately 26 kilometres north of Parkes at 7.30pm on the first Friday of each month (except January).
Members of the public are most welcome to attend and admission is free.
Further information about the CWAS can also be found on its website at www.cwas.org.au