Figure 2-7The Parallax of a Nearby Object in Space Tycho thought that Earth does not rotate and that the stars revolve around it. From our modern perspective, the changing position of the supernova would be due to Earth’s rotation as shown. (a) Tycho argued that if an object is near Earth, its position relative to the background stars should change over the course of a night. (b) Tycho failed to measure such changes for the supernova in 1572. This is illustrated in (b) by the two telescopes being parallel to each other. He, therefore, concluded that the object was far from Earth.