Did astronomer Tycho Brahe really have a silver nose?
Dear Cecil: Tycho Brahe, the astronomer, is buried here in Prague in a church. That’s not so unusual. What is rather strange is the persistent rumor that he had a silver nose, something to do with a duel. Did it tie on around his face with silk strings? Did it have little hooks that went around his ears, like eyeglasses? Was it surgically attached? I’m truly curious. I also wonder if it tarnished, and whether he had to polish it. Did it make a note like a whistle when he blew his nose? — Raymond Johnston, chief copy editor, Prague Post Cecil replies: Glad to be of help, Ray. I know how tough it is for journalists to come by this kind of information. What you heard was no rumor. Tycho Brahe (1546-1601), the father (or at least the godfather) of modern astronomy, really did wear an artificial nose, owing to the fact that the real one had been sliced off in a duel. You may think: this does not sound like the scientists I know. Tycho Brahe, however, was no ordinary stargazer. It happened i
