On October 24, 1601, Denmark’s famous son Tyge Ottesen Brahe – better known as the astronomer and alchemist Tycho Brahe - died in Prague. Quite what he died of remains something of a mystery.

One theory has been that Tycho Brahe – who was credited with the most accurate astronomical observations of his time and has been dubbed the father of modern astronomy - died either of a ruptured bladder or from mercury poisoning.

Theory to science
In an attempt to find the definitive answer, videnskab.dk says that a team of Danish experts under Jens Vellev of the Dept. of Medieval and Renaissance Archaeology at Århus University, is to use modern technology.

In order to do so, the team is approaching the Czech authorities, for permission to open Tycho Brahe’s tomb in the Church of Our Lady in front of Týn in Prague, which also includes the remains of his wife.

Modern methods
“Apart from measuring, describing and taking photographs of the tomb, we want to carry out a CT scan of the skeletons. We would also like to make copies of Tycho Brahe’s clothes using the fragments of clothing that we hope to find in the grave,” Jens Vellev told videnskab.dk.

“Finally we want to measure the mercury concentrations in the skeleton to find out whether he really died of mercury poisoning,” Vellev said.