On Ven, an island in the Öresund between Zealand and Scania, lies the underground observatory known as Stjärneborg, or Star Castle. Constructed by Tycho Brahe around 1581, it was located next to his palace-observatory Uraniborg. Brahe built the underground chambers to ensure his most important instruments were placed securely and firmly so they would not be exposed to the disturbing influence of the wind and would be easier to use.
Brahe also designed the space to separate his collaborators when several were working at the same time. This allowed some to make observations in the castle while others worked in the cellars, ensuring they did not get in the way of each other or compare their observations before he wanted them to. He named the site Stiernburg in vernacular or Stellæburgus in Latin, names that mean castle of the stars.
The underground portions of the observatory were excavated in the 1950s and are today fitted with a roof approximating the original one. The chambers now house a multimedia show open to the public.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nik Frost
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