Tycho Brahe
Tycho Brahe observed a nova at a young age, at a time when the stars were thought to be unchanging. This stirred his interest in the heavens. Brahe found astronomy at the time to be too inaccurate. Brahe set out to acquire detailed measurements in order to refine predictions for celestial events.
Tycho still believed that the Earth was the center of the Universe however, he believed that the planets orbited the Sun, while the Sun orbited the Earth.
From his observatories on an island near Denmark, Tycho measured the positions of the stars and planets with more precision than had ever been accomplished before.
Brahe used large, but simple instruments. These instruments helped Brahe observe the planets.