Biography of Christen Severin Longomontanus

               

Christen Severin Longomontanus was born in Longberg, Jutland, Denmark in 1562. He was born Christen Severin and gave himself the Latin name of Longomontanus as a Latinized version of his hometown, as he became a more renowned astronomer. His parents were poor peasants who could not afford a proper education for their son. Christen’s father died when he was eight years old, and his uncle took over his upbringing until he was sent back to work with his mother as a farmer and laborer. He was determined to learn, however, and convinced his mother to allow him to study during winter when there was not much work as a farmer. He worked with the clergyman of the parish for some months until he finally got up the nerve to run away in search of knowledge and education.


He went to Wibourg where he attended grammar school. Soon, he went to Copenhagen for a secondary education, which was possible with the positive reputation he earned at grammar school. He did not complete his basic education until 1588 due to his lack of funds. In fact, he paid for much of his schooling through manual labor. In 1589, he met Tycho Brahe, who took him in as an apprentice in the astronomical observatory of Uraniborg. For eight years, he was an invaluable assistant to Brahe. He went off to university in Germany but soon met again with Brahe in Prague in 1600, to help him complete the Tychonic lunar theory, which included the discovery of fluctuations in the inclination of the moon’s orbit and changes in the longitude of the moon.


Longomontanus left Brahe to get his master’s degree, and get a professorship at the University of Copenhagen. He served as chair of mathematics from 1607 to his death forty years later. He began construction of an observatory in Copenhagen, but died before its completion.


While he was not a particularly advanced thinker of his time, Longomontanus was still invaluable in developing many of Tycho Brahe’s models and theories. He took responsibility for organizing and continuing Brahe’s work after his death as well. His texts were published based on Brahe’s observations and evidence, but involved Longomontanus’ calculations and work, which were the most up-to-date and accurate of the age.


Longomontanus served primarily as a teacher at the University of Copenhagen, and an apprentice to Brahe. He made no significant discoveries of his own, but he made valuable contributions to Tycho Brahe’s work. He also published “Astronomica Danica” in 1622, describing the various astronomical systems of Ptolemy, Copernicus, and Brahe.