Tycho Armillary Sphere

Tycho Brahe (1546-1601) was a Danish nobleman who, having been given access to the island of Hven, established an amazing research facility, designed and produced several large and precise (but pre-telescopic) instruments, and proceeded to observe stars, planets and other astronomical objects. This replica of his large armillary sphere was made in the early 1960s, for display in the new National Museum of History and Technology (now the National Museum of American History).